NEW DELHI: Bharatiya Janata Party on Monday took a swipe at the INDIA bloc after its meeting in Delhi, claiming that the opposition alliance has lost public support and credibility.Addressing a press conference, BJP MP Sambit Patra mocked the shrinking scale of INDIA bloc meetings after parties like DMK and AAP left the alliance, saying that they were once held in stadiums but had now been reduced to a single room at the Constitution Club. “Earlier, these meetings used to be held in stadiums. Everyone stood hand in hand in Bengaluru. Gradually, these meetings have shifted to a single room at the Constitution Club; they no longer fill stadiums,” Patra said.”In Tamil Nadu, Congress quickly aligned with another party and formed a government. But after losing in Bengal, they are crying foul. The entire country is witnessing this hypocrisy. None of these parties has any real presence on the ground. They have lost their credibility, and that is why people are not voting for them. Akhilesh Yadav was also present there. Looking at Mamata ji’s situation, he must be wondering whether the same fate awaits him. Wherever Rahul Gandhi is present, nobody’s political fortunes improve,” he added.Mocking INDIA bloc’s decision to meet every two months, Patra quipped that the alliance’s future meetings might have to be held inside a car.”They have decided to meet every two months. At this rate, by the third or fourth meeting, I suspect they will be holding it inside a car,” he said.This comes after leaders of opposition INDIA bloc met and decided to write to the Chief Justice of India on the SIR exercise and alleged “vote loot”, besides demanding the immediate resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the NEET-CBSE row.Addressing a press conference after the meeting, Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge said opposition leaders also demanded that Union government convene an all-party meeting to discuss the “precarious economic situation” in the country, unemployment, price rise, farmers’ issues and other people-centric matters.Kharge said INDIA bloc leaders also decided to meet every two months, with the next meeting scheduled in Hyderabad in August, the date for which will be fixed later.”It was agreed that we would meet every two months. The next meeting will be held in Hyderabad in August, the date for which will be fixed later,” Kharge said.”We are going to raise many people-centric issues, which all the parties have unanimously agreed to,” he said.Flanked by Rahul Gandhi, Akhilesh Yadav, Mamata Banerjee and other senior leaders of the grouping at the press conference, Kharge said, “We have agreed on five issues. A letter would be sent to the Chief Justice of India (CJI) soon on the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, ‘vote loot’ and ‘stealing of elections’.”It was also unanimously agreed to demand the immediate resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan because he presided over the betrayal of lakhs of youth who appeared in NEET and CBSE,” he said.Leaders of 22 opposition parties, along with Independent MP Kapil Sibal, attended Monday’s meeting at the Constitution Club, news agency PTI reported, citing sources.Congress veteran also said all opposition leaders aired their views freely at the meeting, which Shiv Sena (UBT)’s Uddhav Thackeray and JMM’s Hemant Soren joined virtually. The meeting was held against the backdrop of differences emerging among some of INDIA bloc constituents.Those in attendance included Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Kharge from Congress; Mamata Banerjee and Abhishek Banerjee from Trinamool Congress; Akhilesh Yadav from Samajwadi Party; Tejashwi Yadav from RJD; Omar Abdullah from National Conference; and Mehbooba Mufti from PDP, along with Left leaders.NCP (SP) leader Supriya Sule, CPM’s John Brittas, CPI’s D Raja and leaders of some smaller parties were also part of the deliberations, while Uddhav Thackeray and Hemant Soren joined virtually.DMK and AAP were not part of the deliberations after opting out of the opposition bloc. Tamil Nadu’s ruling TVK also did not attend the meeting. Go to Source
