Opposition's INDIA alliance MPs to visit violence-hit Manipur today

A delegation of 21 MPs from the opposition bloc INDIA are slated to arrive here on Saturday for a two-day visit to Manipur to assess the current state of affairs in the ethnic strife-hit state.

The delegation, which includes Congress leader in the Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, will make recommendations to the government and Parliament for a solution to Manipur's problems, based on their observations.

Ahead of the visit, Congress' deputy leader in Lok Sabha Gaurav Gogoi called for an inquiry under a retired Supreme Court judge into the violence in Manipur.

Addressing a press conference in New Delhi on Friday, Congress MP and whip in Rajya Sabha Naseer Hussain said the MPs from 16 parties would visit affected areas and people both in the valley and the hills.

They would also visit two relief camps in both places to assess the situation.

The delegation will also meet Manipur Governor Anusuiya Uikey on Sunday morning.

The team of the opposition MPs has sought the use of helicopters locally from the state government to visit Churachandpur, where fresh violence has taken place.

Besides Chowdhury and Gaurav Gogoi, the delegation will include TMC's Sushmita Dev, JMM's Mahua Maji, DMK's Kanimozhi, Jayant Chaudhary of RLD, Manoj Kumar Jha of RJD, N K Premachandran of RSP, JD(U) chief Rajiv Ranjan (Lalan) Singh, Aneel Prasad Hegde (JD-U), CPI's P Sandosh Kumar and CPI(M)'s A A Rahim among others.