Prompted by the exemplary unity displayed by the opposition parties against the government in Parliament’s monsoon session that had just ended, Sonia Gandhi has called for a virtual meeting of Congress chief ministers (Punjab, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh), and invites have been sent out to Uddhav Thackeray, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee, Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin and Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) supremo Lalu Prasad and NCP boss Sharad Pawar.
The virtual meeting is scheduled to be held today. Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut, on August 12, had confirmed Uddhav Thackeray’s participation, saying, “The opposition is united. We had met at Kapilji’s home. Now, on August 20, Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi will speak to CMs of the Congress-ruled states. Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray will also take part in this meeting.”
Thackeray had attended the virtual meeting of opposition chief ministers convened by Sonia Gandhi last August, during which he had famously asked fellow participants, including Mamata Banerjee, whether they were prepared to fight the BJP. “Humein darna hai ya ladna hai?” Thackeray had asked, to which Mamata replied, “Ladna hai.” She had later praised Thackeray, saying that he was doing a great job in the pandemic.
What will be discussed in the meeting?
Speaking to ANI, Communist Party of India (Marxist) CPI(M) General Secretary, Sitaram Yechury affirmed that he would be joining the meeting of opposition leaders called by Sonia Gandhi.
"We will discuss and finalise the strategy to raise the problems faced by the general public and the issues that the government did not allow to discuss in the monsoon session of the Parliament that concluded recently," Yechury said.
"We have to take up the issues related to the common man. The questions are about COVID-19 mismanagement, shortage of vaccine, economic slowdown, unemployment, hunger, price hike of essential commodities, the farmers issue, government privatisation policy and Pegasus snooping row. All these questions were to be discussed in the Parliament and the government did not allow the discussion so, we will go to the public regarding all these issues," Yechury elaborated.
The CPI(M) General Secretary further told ANI that in the opposition meeting, scheduled for today, the leaders will discuss and finalise a common strategy to go in public with and to expose the Modi government's "real face".
(With inputs from Jal Khambata and agencies)