Opp leaders go into huddle for CMP

| | New Delhi
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Opp leaders go into huddle for CMP

Thursday, 14 February 2019 | PNS | New Delhi

Democracy reduced to NaMocracy: Didi

On a day West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee  gave a call to oust the Modi Government at a  mega-Opposition rally titled “Remove Dictatorship, Save Country”, organised by the Aam Admi Party (AAP), top Opposition leaders met at NCP chief Sharad Pawar’s house in New Delhi to give shape to a grand alliance at the national level and prepare its common minimum programme (CMP).

Among those in attendance included Sharad Pawar,  Congress president Rahul Gandhi, Mamata Banerjee, and  Delhi Chief Minister and AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal.

After the meeting, Sharad Pawar, Rahul Gandhi and Mamata Banerjee addressed the media. “We had a very constructive meeting, our collective target is to stop the BJP Government. We also deliberated on the common minimum programme of the coalition,” Rahul said.

“We agreed the principal target for all of us is to wipe out the assault on Indian institutions by Narendra Modi, BJP and RSS. We have a commitment that we’re all going to work together to defeat the BJP,” he added.  “We will work together at the national level and have a pre-poll alliance,” Mamata Banerjee said.

Earlier, leaders of 15 Opposition parties gathered in New Delhi at Jantar Mantar at the Kejriwal-hosted rally which became the second such show of strength after the TMC rally in Kolkata on January 19.

Addressing the rally here,  Mamata asserted that democracy has become “NaMocracy” and the situation in the country is worse than the Emergency. The Trinamool Congress chief also declared that Wednesday was Modi’s last day as Prime Minister in Parliament. “It is the PM’s last day as elected leader in Parliament today,” she said after the Lok Sabha was adjourned sine die. Everyone is afraid of Gabbar Singh. There are two of them — Modi and (BJP chief Amit) Shah,” she said. 

Kejriwal alleged Modi is trying to tear apart the Constitution and destroy democracy. On a day when the CAG report on the 2015 Rafale fighter deal was tabled in Parliament, Kejriwal said Modi should speak the truth on the agreement between India and France because as Prime Minister, he is accountable to the nation.

“Modi Government has “captured” the Anti Corruption Branch in the last four years, he alleged. Attacking Prime Minister, Kejriwal sarcastically said “Who dreams of capturing Delhi and Kolkata? The prime minister of Pakistan,” Kejriwal said sarcastically.

A host of Opposition leaders, including TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu, National Conference’s Farooq Abdullah, Nationalist Congress Party’s Sharad Pawar and CPI(M)’s Sitaram Yechury, spoke at the protest event.

Mamata hit out the Centre over the CBI’s bid to question Kolkata Police Commissioner Rajeev Kumar at his residence, saying she had not seen a Government that “stooped so low”.

Mamata further said while the Congress and the Trinamool Congress will contest against each other in West Bengal, they will fight together at the national level against the BJP. The statement comes hours after Mamata registered her displeasure with UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi in Parliament over Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury’s attack in the Lok Sabha on her over the Saradha chit fund case.

While trying to placate her, Sonia said, “We are accusing each other but we are friends.”

To this, Mamata responded: “I will remember.”

“Any fight with the Congress will remain in the State. At the national level, we will fight together, this I am saying from the heart... For the greater interest of the country, I am ready to sacrifice my life, my party. I am ready to sacrifice everything,” she said at the rally.

Mamata also met RJD’s Misa Bharti, Bahujan Samaj Party’s (BSP) Satish Mishra, SP’s Jaya Bachchan and Dimple Yadav in her room in Parliament in the morning.

Addressing the protest, Mamata appealed to all Opposition parties to play to their strengths and not cut into each others’ votes. She also exhorted them to ensure that the Opposition parties get all the seats in the States where they are strong.

“Whichever party is strong should work there, fight there against the BJP, in Delhi, it’s AAP, in UP, it is BSP, SP, in Kashmir, there is Farooq Abdullah...For higher good, some sacrifices are needed...If we want, we can fight in many more seats, but we never do this for the higher good,” she said.

In an apparent dig at the Congress whose State unit is fighting tooth and nail against the TMC, Mamata said while the Rahul Gandhi-led party is strong in the three heartland States, they should not cut into her party’s votes in West Bengal.

“We tell the Congress, if you are strong in Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, you should fight there. But where we are strong, don’t let the BJP win. I am used to fighting the BJP, CPM and the Congress because in Bengal, these three parties fight together. Even if we make an understanding, they don’t transfer votes. I am used to this. I am not scared. How much ever they fight, I will get 42 out of 42,” she asserted.

The PM’s speech in Parliament was “his last” in the House as a people’s representative and that his Government has reached its “expiry date”, she said.

Asserting that regional parties are not weak, she appealed to all these parties to mobilise their workers so that the anti-BJP front gets stronger.

While trying to placate her, Sonia said, “We are accusing each other but we are friends.”

To this, Mamata responded: “I will remember.”

“Any fight with the Congress will remain in the State. At the national level, we will fight together, this I am saying from the heart... For the greater interest of the country, I am ready to sacrifice my life, my party. I am ready to sacrifice everything,” she said at the rally.

Mamata also met RJD’s Misa Bharti, Bahujan Samaj Party’s (BSP) Satish Mishra, SP’s Jaya Bachchan and Dimple Yadav in her room in Parliament in the morning.

Addressing the protest, Mamata appealed to all Opposition parties to play to their strengths and not cut into each others’ votes. She also exhorted them to ensure that the Opposition parties get all the seats in the States where they are strong.

“Whichever party is strong should work there, fight there against the BJP, in Delhi, it’s AAP, in UP, it is BSP, SP, in Kashmir, there is Farooq Abdullah...For higher good, some sacrifices are needed...If we want, we can fight in many more seats, but we never do this for the higher good,” she said.

In an apparent dig at the Congress whose State unit is fighting tooth and nail against the TMC, Mamata said while the Rahul Gandhi-led party is strong in the three heartland States, they should not cut into her party’s votes in West Bengal.

“We tell the Congress, if you are strong in Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, you should fight there. But where we are strong, don’t let the BJP win. I am used to fighting the BJP, CPM and the Congress because in Bengal, these three parties fight together. Even if we make an understanding, they don’t transfer votes. I am used to this. I am not scared. How much ever they fight, I will get 42 out of 42,” she asserted.

The PM’s speech in Parliament was “his last” in the House as a people’s representative and that his Government has reached its “expiry date”, she said.

Asserting that regional parties are not weak, she appealed to all these parties to mobilise their workers so that the anti-BJP front gets stronger.

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