Opposition Bengaluru meeting: 'Can you challenge INDIA,' Mamata Banerjee asks NDA after naming of new alliance
"NDA, can you challenge INDIA?" she asked while speaking after the meeting ended.
- Jul 18, 2023,
- Updated Jul 18, 2023 5:29 PM IST
The Opposition parties, which met today in Bengaluru for the second time, have named their alliance for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls as INDIA, which is an acronym for Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance. After the new alliance's name was revealed, TMC leader and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee asked BJP-led NDA if it can challenge INDIA. "NDA, can you challenge INDIA?" she asked while speaking after the meeting ended.
Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge said the opposition parties have come together "to save Democracy and the Constitution". He said an 11-member coordination committee will be set up and a secretariat shall be set up for campaign management in Delhi. The next opposition meeting will take place in Mumbai and the date of the meeting will be announced later.
Former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi, who was also present in the meeting, said this fight is not between the two political formations but the fight is to defend the idea of India. "If you will see history, you will find that nobody has been able to fight the idea of India. It's a fight between the idea of India and Narendra Modi."
Former Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray said this was the opposition parties' second successful meeting. "The country is our family and we are fighting together to save our family. The next meeting of this alliance will be in Mumbai," he said.
AAP supremo and Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal, too, attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and said he has "destroyed all the sectors". "We have gathered here not for ourselves but to save the country from hatred...," he said.
Kharge said the entire media has been captured by PM Modi. "No one moves without their signal. In my 52 years of active political career, I have never seen such a hostile situation that opposition leaders (voices) are being suppressed," he added.
The Congress President further said that the NDA is holding a meeting with 30 parties. "I have not heard about so many parties in India. Earlier, they didn't hold any meetings but now they are meeting one by one (with NDA parties). PM Modi is now afraid of opposition parties."
In Bengaluru, at least 26 opposition parties met for the second time to deliberate on the structure and common agenda to take on the BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
CPI(M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury said this meeting is important because "we want to save India, as we know what India is". "The country is under tremendous multi-dimensional assault. The country has to be saved to make a change for the better," he said.
JMM leader and Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren said Tuesday's meeting is "very important" considering the situation created in the country by the BJP government.
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav said two-thirds of the country's population is against the BJP. RJD leader and Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashvi Yadav said, "We have got together to save the democracy, Constitution, and brotherhood. The country's constitutional institutions are being misused and the country's wealth is being sold out." "There is only talk of hatred while issues concerning the common man, farmers, and youths are being ignored," he claimed.
The Opposition parties, which met today in Bengaluru for the second time, have named their alliance for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls as INDIA, which is an acronym for Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance. After the new alliance's name was revealed, TMC leader and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee asked BJP-led NDA if it can challenge INDIA. "NDA, can you challenge INDIA?" she asked while speaking after the meeting ended.
Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge said the opposition parties have come together "to save Democracy and the Constitution". He said an 11-member coordination committee will be set up and a secretariat shall be set up for campaign management in Delhi. The next opposition meeting will take place in Mumbai and the date of the meeting will be announced later.
Former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi, who was also present in the meeting, said this fight is not between the two political formations but the fight is to defend the idea of India. "If you will see history, you will find that nobody has been able to fight the idea of India. It's a fight between the idea of India and Narendra Modi."
Former Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray said this was the opposition parties' second successful meeting. "The country is our family and we are fighting together to save our family. The next meeting of this alliance will be in Mumbai," he said.
AAP supremo and Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal, too, attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and said he has "destroyed all the sectors". "We have gathered here not for ourselves but to save the country from hatred...," he said.
Kharge said the entire media has been captured by PM Modi. "No one moves without their signal. In my 52 years of active political career, I have never seen such a hostile situation that opposition leaders (voices) are being suppressed," he added.
The Congress President further said that the NDA is holding a meeting with 30 parties. "I have not heard about so many parties in India. Earlier, they didn't hold any meetings but now they are meeting one by one (with NDA parties). PM Modi is now afraid of opposition parties."
In Bengaluru, at least 26 opposition parties met for the second time to deliberate on the structure and common agenda to take on the BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
CPI(M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury said this meeting is important because "we want to save India, as we know what India is". "The country is under tremendous multi-dimensional assault. The country has to be saved to make a change for the better," he said.
JMM leader and Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren said Tuesday's meeting is "very important" considering the situation created in the country by the BJP government.
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav said two-thirds of the country's population is against the BJP. RJD leader and Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashvi Yadav said, "We have got together to save the democracy, Constitution, and brotherhood. The country's constitutional institutions are being misused and the country's wealth is being sold out." "There is only talk of hatred while issues concerning the common man, farmers, and youths are being ignored," he claimed.