Joint Opposition meeting: ‘Differences not so big we cannot put them behind us,’ says Mallikarjun Kharge
Opposition meeting in Bengaluru: Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge said that BJP did not get 303 seats on its own but through its allies. BJP discarded its allies after coming to power.
- Jul 18, 2023,
- Updated Jul 18, 2023 1:09 PM IST
At the joint Opposition meeting, organised in Bengaluru, to bring together 26 opposition parties and give them a common agenda to take on the BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge said that while there are ideological differences between the said parties, these differences are not so big that they can’t be looked over for the common good.
Kharge said on Tuesday, “We are aware that at the state level, there are differences between some of us. These differences are not ideological. These differences are not so big that we cannot put them behind us for the sake of the common man and middle class, for youth, for the poor, the Dalit, the adivasis and the minorities whose rights are being crushed silently behind the scenes.”
According to inputs from news agency ANI, Kharge said that BJP did not get 303 seats on its own but through its allies. BJP discarded its allies after coming to power, and its leaders are now running from state to state to patch up with their old allies.
The ruling party has used every institution as a weapon against the Opposition, he said. “Every institution is being turned into a weapon against the opposition. CBI, ED, and Income Tax are routinely used. False criminal cases are filed against our leaders so that they get caught in the legal process. Constitutional authorities are used to suspend our MPs. MLAs are being blackmailed or bribed to move to BJP and topple governments,” said Kharge.
The Congress President also said that the party is not interested in the post of the prime minister. “Our intention in this meeting is not to gain power for ourselves. It is to protect our constitution, democracy, secularism and social justice,” he said.
The joint meeting of the Opposition saw formal deliberations on the second day. The first day saw informal discussions, followed by a dinner meeting.
The Opposition unity meeting is also expected to give the grouping of 26 parties a new name. All the parties were asked to suggest names for the alliance on Monday’s dinner meeting. The parties are also expected to issue a joint declaration and finalise a committee for the functioning of the grouping.
Sonia Gandhi’s name has been suggested as the chairperson of the new grouping.
Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge, Sharad Pawar, Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav (RJD), Akhilesh Yadav (SP), Uddhav Thackeray (Shiv Sena-UBT), Farooq Abdullah (NC) and Mehbooba Mufti (PDP), besides Sitaram Yechury (CPI-M), D Raja (CPI), Jayant Chaudhary (RLD) and MDMK MP Vaiko were present at the meeting hosted by Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.
The joint Opposition meeting coincides with the NDA’s meeting convened on Tuesday in Delhi.
Also read: AAP to attend Opposition meet in Bengaluru as Congress ready to oppose Delhi ordinance
Also read: Congress to move SC after HC's refusal to stay Rahul Gandhi's conviction in defamation case
At the joint Opposition meeting, organised in Bengaluru, to bring together 26 opposition parties and give them a common agenda to take on the BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge said that while there are ideological differences between the said parties, these differences are not so big that they can’t be looked over for the common good.
Kharge said on Tuesday, “We are aware that at the state level, there are differences between some of us. These differences are not ideological. These differences are not so big that we cannot put them behind us for the sake of the common man and middle class, for youth, for the poor, the Dalit, the adivasis and the minorities whose rights are being crushed silently behind the scenes.”
According to inputs from news agency ANI, Kharge said that BJP did not get 303 seats on its own but through its allies. BJP discarded its allies after coming to power, and its leaders are now running from state to state to patch up with their old allies.
The ruling party has used every institution as a weapon against the Opposition, he said. “Every institution is being turned into a weapon against the opposition. CBI, ED, and Income Tax are routinely used. False criminal cases are filed against our leaders so that they get caught in the legal process. Constitutional authorities are used to suspend our MPs. MLAs are being blackmailed or bribed to move to BJP and topple governments,” said Kharge.
The Congress President also said that the party is not interested in the post of the prime minister. “Our intention in this meeting is not to gain power for ourselves. It is to protect our constitution, democracy, secularism and social justice,” he said.
The joint meeting of the Opposition saw formal deliberations on the second day. The first day saw informal discussions, followed by a dinner meeting.
The Opposition unity meeting is also expected to give the grouping of 26 parties a new name. All the parties were asked to suggest names for the alliance on Monday’s dinner meeting. The parties are also expected to issue a joint declaration and finalise a committee for the functioning of the grouping.
Sonia Gandhi’s name has been suggested as the chairperson of the new grouping.
Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge, Sharad Pawar, Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav (RJD), Akhilesh Yadav (SP), Uddhav Thackeray (Shiv Sena-UBT), Farooq Abdullah (NC) and Mehbooba Mufti (PDP), besides Sitaram Yechury (CPI-M), D Raja (CPI), Jayant Chaudhary (RLD) and MDMK MP Vaiko were present at the meeting hosted by Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.
The joint Opposition meeting coincides with the NDA’s meeting convened on Tuesday in Delhi.
Also read: AAP to attend Opposition meet in Bengaluru as Congress ready to oppose Delhi ordinance
Also read: Congress to move SC after HC's refusal to stay Rahul Gandhi's conviction in defamation case