Congress president Rahul Gandhi, in the opposition meet held on 10 December, said that there was “consensus in the room” to stop the BJP’s “assault on our institutions- CBI, RBI, EC and on the constitution.”
In a major step towards forming an anti-BJP front, top Opposition leaders have gathered to discuss a grand alliance against the saffron party in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.
A total of 21 opposition parties are present at the meeting at Delhi’s Parliament House Annexe.
The meeting comes a day before results of the five state Assembly polls are scheduled to be announced and the Winter Session of Parliament is slated to begin.
Congress President Rahul Gandhi, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, former Union minister Sharad Yadav, and National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah are a few of many leaders attending the meeting.
- Opposition parties met on 10 December to prepare the pitch for a ‘Mahagathbandhan’ ahead of the Lok Sabha polls
- The driving force behind the meeting is Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu
Full Statement by 21 Parties at Opposition Meet
We, the leaders of secular parties, met this afternoon in New Delhi.
We reaffirmed our strong and steadfast resolve to confront and defeat the forces that are subverting our Constitution and making a mockery of our democracy.
India needs a government that cares for working class, kisans and khet mazdoors and is always sensitive to the enormous pain that they and their families are going through.
India needs a government that makes education accessible and affordable to all sections of the people and fulfills the aspirations of youth for decent and secure jobs that provide fair wages to the employed.
India needs a government that empowers the weaker sections of society—scheduled castes, scheduled tribes, OBCs, women and minorities—to lead a life of complete security and dignity.
India needs a truthful government that does not propagate falsehoods and does not make bogus claims, that steadfastly follows Constitutional values and conventions in letter and spirit, that respects the autonomy of institutions, and that will banish the current all-pervasive atmosphere of fear and intimidation. A case in point is the sinister attack on autonomy of Reserve Bank of India by Modi government that has led to the unceremonious exit of RBI Governor today. We deprecate the systematic attack by the government on India’s Economy through a select band of government nominees arbitrarily dictating the Monitory Policies and compromising RBI’s institutional integrity.
India needs a government that is committed to faster economic growth which is socially inclusive and environmentally sustainable and growth that does not sharpen inequalities among people and among states. India needs a government that is not mired in rank corruption and loot of people’s resources, a government which does not attack the entire Banking System through insurmountable NPA’s benefitting crony capitalists. India needs a government that does not put a conspiratorial lid over multiple corruption scams like Rafale; nor becomes an abettor to the escape of bank defaulters.
India needs a government where Economic Growth focuses on addressing the concerns of small traders, shopkeepers and micro, small and medium enterprises that have been devastated by demonetisation and the ill-planned implementation of GST. We need a government where harassment of businessmen and industrialists would end and the spirit of enterprise must be allowed full freedom.
India needs a government that deals decisively with the problems of the present and the challenges of the future instead of a government that is only interested in re-imagining the past, re-writing and distorting history and re-naming cities and streets. India needs a government that listens to the people and not simply lectures to them.
India needs a government, for which Democracy is the magna carta beyond the victories and losses of electoral battles. Innumerable deficiencies, failures and plausible doubts on the neutral functionality of EVM’s per se have raised a question on the neutrality of poll process itself. It is our firm belief that this needs to be redressed without question and without delay.
In the course of the next few months we will place before the people of the country, a comprehensive programme of work anchored in complete transparency and accountability.
We call upon all liberal, progressive and secular forces to join us in our battle to save the Constitution, to protect parliamentary democracy, to preserve the freedom to think, speak and write as a free people, to strengthen the bonds of our unity while celebrating our diversity and to retrieve, repair and rebuild the economy. It is in the interests of safeguarding and strengthening our Constitutional Republic and People’s livelihood that this RSS/BJP government is ousted.
Consensus to Stop BJP Assault on Institutions: Rahul at Oppn Meet
Congress president Rahul Gandhi said, “In the middle of the meeting(of opposition leaders),we were told that RBI Governor has resigned because he could no longer work with govt. There was consensus in the room that we've to stop BJP's assault on our institutions- CBI, RBI, EC and on the constitution.”
He added, “This is a process and it is bringing together everybody. I said in the room that voices in this room are voices of the opposition in the country; our goal is to defeat BJP, protect India’s constitution and our institutions.”
Government Agencies Misused by This Government: Mamata Banerjee
Mamata Banerjee, reacting to RBI Governor Urjit Patel's resignation, said that the Opposition meeting will continue on Tuesday, 11 December. She also said that the RBI governor resigning is a sign of financial emergency.
“Opposition meeting is continued for tomorrow also. We may meet the president. The resignation of the RBI Governer shows that the Financial emergency is already happened. Govt agencies are misused by this government. Lots of leaders are arrested by misusing the powers of investigative agencies. Lots of leaders are arrested by misusing the powers of investigative agencies.”Mamata Banerjee, AlTC
Total of 20 Parties Present at the Meeting
Total 20 parties are present in the meeting of opposition leaders at Parliament House Annexe in New Delhi.
Members from Congress (INC), Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), All India Trinamool Congress (AITC), Telugu Desam Party (TDP), Janata Dal (Secular) (JDS), Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI-M), National Conference (NC), Loktantrik Janata Dal (LJD), Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD), Communist Party of India (CPI), Kerala Congress (M) (KCM), Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM), Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (JVM), Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF), Aadmi Party (AAP) and Naga People's Front (NPF) are present at the meeting.