Opposition unites against ‘divisive’ BJP

New Delhi: After JD(U) chief Nitish Kumar delivered a body blow to Opposition unity by crossing over to the BJP-led NDA, the remaining Opposition parties came together to project a united front in New Delhi on Thursday.

Launching a fresh attempt to unite and bolster the Opposition against Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led BJP government, Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi directly attacked the Centre and the big brother of the Sangh Parivar — the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh.

“Jab tak inhone (RSS) Hindustan mein raaj nahi kiya, tab tak jhande ko salute nahi mara (Till the time they were not in power, they did not salute the tricolour),” Mr Gandhi said.

Sixteen Opposition parties attended the Sanjhi Virasat Bachao (Save the Country’s Composite Culture) meet called by JD(U) rebel leader Sharad Yadav to highlight alleged attacks on Indian culture and ethos.

Mr Gandhi, while underscoring the ideological difference between the RSS and the Congress, said, “There are two ways of viewing the country. One says ‘this country is mine’, the other says ‘I belong to the country’. That’s the difference between RSS and us.”  

“The RSS says ‘this country is ours and you don’t belong in it’. It beat up dalits in Gujarat and showed them that they don’t belong in this country,” he added.

Addressing the gathering, CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury said that “Indian culture is under attack from forces who want to push through their narrow agenda,” and that the Opposition parties are “determined to save the composite culture of this country”.

Referring to the contentious, communal issues often raised by the Sangh Parivar, Mr Yechury said, “It does not make a difference whom we worship, what we wear, what we eat and who we marry. It is only about being Indian”.  

Reminding the gathering that more Muslims “chose to stay back in India during Partition” than the number that moved to Pakistan, Mr Yechury said that India’s composite culture is “being targeted to convert India into a Hindu Rashtra”.

Mr Sharad Yadav, the JD(U)’s Rajya Sabha MP, evoked Hitler and virtually equated the BJP’s reign with Nazi rule. “When people unite, even Hitler fails,” he said. Referring to the growing Hindu-Muslim divide, Mr Yadav said, “I have seen divisions, but never like this.” “People in India are living in fear,” he added.

Ghulam Nabi Azad, Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha, declared in the meet that “the real JD(U) is led by Sharad Yadav”.

Mr Yadav is apparently trying to emerge as one of the main faces of the Opposition besides Trinamul Congress chief Mamata Banerjee.

On the BJP and RSS’ alleged attempts to take over institutions and mould them according to the Sangh Parivar’s ideology, Mr Gandhi alleged that the RSS was constantly trying to undermine the Constitution to promote its right-wing agenda.

The saffronites, he said, were “filling institutions with their own men.”

Hitting out at the Prime Minister, Mr Gandhi said, “Modiji says he wants to create a ‘Swachch Bharat’ but we want a ‘Sach Bharat’.”

The parties that attended the meet included the Congress, CPI(M), CPI, SP, BSP, NCP, RJD, NC, JD-S and RLD.

Congress leader Ahmed Patel, while “urging” Mr Yadav to prepare an “action plan”, said, “We will move across the country and make it clear that democracy cannot be saved if we do not save India’s composite culture.”