COLOMBO, Sept 26: India has invited three anti-LTTE Tamil-dominated parties for discussions on the deteriorating situation in Sri Lanka.

The invitation comes days after Prime Minister Manmohan Singh decided not to grant an audience to legislators belonging to the pro-LTTE Tamil National Alliance (TNA).

The invitation is part of a new approach by India to engage political groups bearing different viewpoints in order to better understand the diverse issues pertaining to the ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka, diplomatic sources in Colombo said.

A month ago, Rauf Hakeem, a leader of Sri Lanka’s biggest Muslim political party held discussions with Indian leaders in Delhi.

Diplomatic sources say political parties in the south are also likely to be invited to India for discussions in the near future.