Disqualification of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi from the Lok Sabha last week has brought under one umbrella 18 Opposition parties whose leaders attended a strategy meeting late on Monday evening at Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge’s residence. Former Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Rahul too were present in the meeting.
However, Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) leader Sanjay Raut said the party did not attend the meeting at Kharge’s residence in protest against Rahul’s “unacceptable” remarks against VD Savarkar.
The Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) said Rahul’s attack on freedom fighter VD Savarkar will lead to ebbing of sympathy he has gained due to his disqualification as a Lok Sabha member.
An editorial in party mouthpiece “Saamana” said the truth, which Rahul is fighting for today, will not win by making defamatory statements against Savarkar.
At a rally on Sunday, Uddhav Thackeray said he considers Savarkar as his “idol”, and asked Rahul to refrain from “insulting” him.
Leaders of TMC, AAP and BRS attended the meeting. The TMC, which has so far stayed away from the Opposition’s protests, joined the sit-in at Vijay Chowk in the morning.
It was decided in the meeting that the protest in black clothes will continue in front of Gandhi statue in Parliament.
TMC supremo and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will hold a dharna in Kolkata. BRS, earlier known as TRS, too expressed their solidarity with the Opposition which has so far been making attempts for a third front of its kind eyeing TMC, DMK, Shiv Sena, JD(U) on its side.
To keep up its charge against the Government, the Congress has decided to hold Press conferences across the country on March 28 and 29.
“Senior Congress leaders will address Press conferences in 35 cities on March 28 and 29 on ‘Democracy Dis’Qualified’. Among other issues, the reality of ‘Modani’ and the Modi Government’s clean chit to Nirav Modi and Lalit Modi will also be highlighted,” party general secretary Jairam Ramesh said.
Kharge shared some photos of the Opposition meeting and tweeted, “To save one man, Modi is trampling the interests of 140 crore people. To protect PM’s ‘Param Mitr’, BJP stalls Parliament that discusses people’s issues.
If NO wrong is committed, why is Govt shying away from Opposition’s demand of a probe by Joint Parliamentary Committee?”
In Parliament, Opposition members caused disruptions in both Houses forcing their adjournment soon after they reassembled for the day.
Kharge said Opposition MPs were dressed in black as the Prime Minister is “finishing” off democracy.
Sonia was seen wearing a black scarf while other members of her party wore black shirts. National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah was wearing a black kurta.
In the morning, MPs of various Opposition parties met at the Parliament Complex to discuss a strategy.
In the Lok Sabha, Congress members wearing black scarves trooped into the Well shouting slogans. Two Congress members, T N Pratapan and Hibi Eden, who were in the Well holding placards, hurled order papers towards the Chair along with their scarves.
“Dear ED daro mat, Adani per raid karo (ED don’t be scared, raid Adani),” read one of the placards.
After the Houses were adjourned, Opposition MPs, including Sonia and Kharge, gathered near the statue of Mahatma Gandhi in the Parliament Complex and raised slogans against the government.
Holding a huge “Satyamev Jayate” banner and placards with “save democracy” written on them, the MPs proceeded towards the Vijay Chowk where they staged a sit-in.
“Today is like a Black Day! Such things never happened earlier. For small things defamation cases are put on leaders and even when the punishment is not exceeding two years our leader has been disqualified,” Kharge told reporters, alleging that this has been done to discourage him, silence him and scare him.
The Modi Government asked the Speaker to disqualify him in minutes and acted in lightning speed because they did not want him to speak in Parliament, Kharge alleged, adding that “they wanted him to be silenced so that he does not raise his voice against the prime minister on the Adani issue”.
He also asked how businessman Gautam Adani’s wealth rose so much in the last few years.
“When you are going to foreign countries how many times have you taken the industrialist with you,” he questioned the prime minister and said, “We want a JPC on the Adani issue. Why is the government not agreeing to this? Why are you scared of a JPC probe... It means ‘dal mein kuch kala hai’ (something is wrong).”
The Opposition has been seeking a joint parliamentary committee (JPC) probe into the allegations of corporate fraud and stock price manipulations against the Adani Group. The business group has denied the allegations.
Leaders from DMK, Samajwadi Party, JD(U), BRS, CPI(M), CPI, RJD, NCP, IUML, MDMK, Kerala Congress, TMC, RSP, AAP, NC and Shiv Sena (UBT), among others, met at Kharge’s chamber.
Opposition members have displayed coordination during the Budget Session of Parliament and the Congress has expressed hope that this coordination will also be extended outside Parliament.