Mamata, Chandrababu fix December 10 for Opposition meet

Kolkata/New Delhi: Andhra Pradesh chief minister Chandrababu Naidu and his West Bengal counterpart Mamata Banerjee asserted on Monday that all parties opposing the BJP are united in their endeavour “to save the nation and democracy” and will chalk out a strategy to take on the saffron party in a meeting likely on December 10, the eve of the Winter Session of Parliament and announcement of results for the on-going Assembly elections in five states.

After their discussion in Kolkata, the TDP and Trinamul chiefs said that the meeting of non-BJP parties was earlier scheduled for November 22 but it is being put off till next month due to pre-occupation of Opposition leaders in the on-going state elections.

Sources in other Opposition parties, however, maintained that the November 22 meeting was postponed due to squeamishness among the various outfits to share stage amidst the Assembly polls in five states where many parties are fighting against each other. Another reason was the reluctance of many regional parties to accept Congress as the convener of any Opposition meeting.

Mr Naidu, who met Mr Banerjee days after their governments withdrew the “general consent” to the CBI to conduct probe and raids in their states, discussed issues related to unity among the Opposition parties to oust the BJP for nearly an hour at state secretariat Nabanna and later addressed a joint press conference with her in which he attacked the Narendra Modi government for misusing Central probe and enforcement agencies against political rivals.

Mr Naidu said, “We had a very good discussion. We have a responsibility being senior leaders. The country has to be saved. Democracy needs to be secured. The constitutional bodies have to be protected.”

Asked who would be the face of the Opposition coalition, Ms Banerjee said, “Everybody, all are the face of the coalition.”

“We are totally together, we are working together, we are speaking together. We all are together against the BJP government to save the nation,” she said.

Training his guns on the BJP government, Mr Naidu said, “Be it the CBI or Enforcement Directorate or Income-Tax department or Reserve Bank of India or Comptroller Auditor General, each institution is now facing danger. Demonetisation was a major mistake. Inflation and fuel price hike have been increasing. Growth has been stagnant.”

Mr Naidu said, “Economy has come to a standstill. Intolerance is growing in the country. The minorities are panicked. Even for the politicians there is a severe threat. They are getting victimised through the misuse of the CBI. We have to save this great nation.”

Ms Banerjee backed Mr Naidu’s idea of rescheduling the November 22 Opposition meeting. “The issue is that if all Opposition leaders aren’t present at the meeting, then it doesn’t show a united front and solidarity,” she said.

Referring to the BSP chief, Mr Naidu said, “We are in touch with Mayawatiji. Those who are opposing the BJP, those who want to save the nation, we will work together. That’s our mission.”

“Those who are opposing the BJP will join and discuss. We will chalk out a programme to move forward, take this momentum further on the agenda to protect the nation,” he said.

Sources said during her talks with Mr Naidu, the Trinamul chief insisted that all top leaders, including Ms Mayawati and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, need to be present in the meeting.