The Congress was conspicuous by its absence at the joint protest of opposition parties organised by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Wednesday, against the ruling BJP’s “dictatorial” attitude. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, whose party clashed with the Congress in Parliament over the chit fund scam in the State, joined the protest along with other senior Opposition leaders, including the ones from Left parties.

Cong, TMC clash in LS

In the Lok Sabha, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) MPs shouted slogans against the Left and Congress members, who spoke about the chit fund scams in West Bengal, during a discussion on the Banning of Unregulated Deposit Schemes Bill, 2018.

Congress MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said the TMC, which is in power in West Bengal, “looted” the people of the State. He also said that lakhs of people had been defrauded and their money should be returned.

CPI(M) member Mohammed Salim alleged that the TMC has come up due to corruption, and even remarked that some of its members in the House should go to jail. On both occasions, members from the BJP, which is engaged in a political slugfest with the TMC over the Saradha scam and other issues, were seen thumping their desks. Later, TMC members were seen shouting slogans against Salim. Some members of the TMC are under the lens for their alleged role in chit fund scams.

Outside Parliament, the TMC, Left parties, the AAP, the National Conference, the Samajwadi Party (SP) and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) got together for the rally nearly three weeks after Banerjee hosted Opposition leaders in Kolkata for a similar show of strength on January 19. Huge posters of BR Ambedkar and slogans such as “ Tanashahi Hatao Loktantra Bachao ” dotted the venue which hosted senior leaders Sharad Pawar, Mamata Banerjee, Sharad Yadav, Sitaram Yechury, D Raja, Farooq Abdullah and others.

CPI(M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury alleged that the BJP is professing politics of ‘Dushashan’ by pitting “brothers against brothers”. “There is a need to replace this government for a better India. This chowkidar needs to be removed to save the country. The BJP is like Kaurava Sena but the Pandavas (Opposition) will defeat them and save the country,” said Yechury.

Stressing that the rally organised by Kejriwal was “historic”, former Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Gegong Apang said instead of celebrating our diversity, a “minimal, illiberal and monotheistic idea is being imposed”.

‘BJP won’t win in UP’

SP leader Ram Gopal Yadav said Uttar Pradesh will play a crucial role in 2019 and asserted that the BJP will not open its account in UP, which has 80 Lok Sabha seats. He said the SP-BSP-RLD alliance will “create a situation” in UP that Modi will have to find another seat, besides Varanasi, to contest the upcoming LS polls.

DMK Rajya Sabha MP Kanimozhi said she is here on behalf of her party chief Stalin to extend support to Opposition leaders.

Related Topics