Opposition ‘tea party’ against demonetisation today? All you need to know
The Congress party has called all opposition parties to attend a meeting today to prepare a protest strategy against the demonetisation decision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Though the Congress had sent the invites to all parties, three parties — the Left, JD(U) and Nationalist Congress Party — have not accepted the invitation. According to reports, the three parties are apparently not happy with the way Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi is trying to appropriate the entire credit of anti-demonetisatin protests across the country for the benefit of his own party. Though, formally, the three parties expressed their inability to attend the meet.
After the meeting today, the opposition leaders will participate in a joint press conference to be addressed by Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi and other opposition leaders. Congress president Sonia Gandhi is also expected to join. On December 16, the Congress had organised a joint march of opposition parties to the Rashtrapati Bhavan. However, some parties had then also skipped the march. Today’s meeting is seen by experts as an attempt on the part of the Congress to once again unite all opposition parties against demonetisation.
Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad today told ANI: “Hopeful, the way entire opposition fought against the government together in House, they will come and take part in the meet today as well.”
On Monday, Communist Party of India (Marxist) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury said no consultations were done by the Congress for today’s meeting in advance. Yechury, however, added there was no dispute among opposition parties over demonetisation and its impact on people.
According to ANI, JD (U) and NCP sources also cited improper co-ordination as the reason for not participating. JD (U) leader K C Tyagi said no common minimum programme (CMP) has been framed for anti-demonetisation protests. He added that all opposition parties do not have the same stand on the banning of Rs. 500 and Rs. 1,000 currency notes. The JD(U) has openly supported the demonetisation decision.
Congress leader and former union minister Jairam Ramesh said on Monday that some parties were not able to attend the meeting because of “local and regional compulsions”. Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is one of the prominent opposition leaders in the country who has already arrived in Delhi for the meeting. Other parties expected to participate in the meet include the DMK and RJD.
Source: FinancialExpress
BANGALORE: There's a fresh row between the Congress and BJP, this time over Income Tax raids in Karnataka. The BJP Read more
NAGPUR: The investigation wing of income tax department on Thursday raided the premises of Aryan Coal Beneficiation (ACB) India Limited, Read more
Income Tax sleuths have been conducting raids in 20 premises of BJP leader, Amarpreet Singh Kale including in Jamshedpur, Ranchi Read more
The Cyberabad Police have registered an FIR against YSR Congress chief Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy for allegedly disrespecting the national anthem. Read more
