Anurag Thakur takes jibe at I.N.D.I.A bloc amid rift rumors: 'Was bound to happen'
Tag: INDIA alliance
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Nitish Kumar says ‘not upset’ with INDIA bloc’s proposal on Kharge’s name |
In a move to end scepticism over a possible rift within the INDIA bloc, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said he did not convey any willingness to get a post in the bloc, emphasising that he is not ‘upset’.
The chief minister added that he will be on board with whatever decision the bloc takes.
The Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) bloc of the Opposition met in New Delhi last week for its fourth meeting. The meeting came after Congress suffered a major setback in three states – Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh.
During the meeting, key opposition leaders recommended Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge’s name for the prime ministerial post.
In August, Nitish Kumar had reiterated that he did not want the post of national convener of the INDIA bloc, adding that his move to drive the Opposition into unity was not motivated by “personal ambition.”
Meanwhile, Congress MP Rahul Gandhi dialled up Kumar after reports surfaced that he is unhappy with the bloc and how it is advancing. The INDIA bloc meeting concluded with the decision that a call on seat sharing ahead of Lok Sabha elections 2024 would be taken soon.
Currently, the INDIA bloc has set a deadline of December 31 for seat sharing. The Opposition bloc has also decided to launch nationwide public meetings soon. A special focus will also be put on Uttar Pradesh ahead of 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
On the other hand, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has set a goal of securing 50 per cent vote share in the next Lok Sabha elections. The party has also announced the beginning of cluster meetings from January 15 while the Yuva Morcha will hold around 5,000 conferences across the country.
The cluster meetings will be attended and addressed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, and BJP President JP Nadda.
Meanwhile, the BJP Yuva Morcha will begin a new campaign for new voters across the nation from January 24.
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Rahul Gandhi: ‘BJP ke sansad sab bhag liye; Hawa nikal gayi unki’: Rahul Gandhi on parliament security breach – The Economic Times Video
As the MPs of the INDIA alliance gathered at Jantar Mantar today to protest against the suspension of the Opposition legislators during the Winter Session of Parliament, senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi accused the Central government of silencing crores of Indians by removing their representatives from the House.
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Lalu praises Rahul for social justice principle, says no difficulty in deciding opposition’s PM face
Express News Service
PATNA: With the Opposition bloc ‘INDIA’ yet to resolve the contentious issue of deciding its Prime Ministerial face for the 2024 Lok Sabha election, RJD chief and former Bihar Chief Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav on Thursday heaped praise on former Congress president Rahul Gandhi for his adherence to the principle of social justice.
Speaking on the occasion of Bihar’s first chief minister Sri Krishna Singh’s birth anniversary at the Congress headquarters here, Lalu said, “We have kept the flag of social justice high and so Rahul is also doing.”
He also praised Rahul for announcing that a caste-based survey would be conducted in the entire country if the ‘INDIA’ alliance is voted to power at the centre in 2024. The RJD president also contended that the Prime Ministerial candidate for the ‘INDIA’ alliance would be decided without any difficulty.
Incidentally, Lalu did not talk about alliance partner and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar a single time when he was applauding Rahul for his ‘adherence’ to the principle of social justice and his announcement for the caste-based survey.
Lalu said that the BJP was desperate after the release of the caste-based survey and questioned how it was possible for any caste having a population of one per cent to demand more posts. The RJD supremo claimed that power would be “shared in proportion” to the population of various castes and that the BJP would be moved out of power.
This was Lalu’s first visit to the Congress headquarters ‘Sadaqat Ashram’ after six years. Congress leaders said that the last time Lalu had visited Sadaquat Ashram was in 2017.
“We are working together and we are going to organise a ‘Remove BJP, Save Country’ rally in the state capital. The wave of change will emanating from there and it will sweep the entire country as BJP is set to suffer a crushing defeat in the 2024 Lok Sabha election,” Lalu said.
He claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and RSS would not be able to do anything in the election.
Lalu also claimed that the BJP knew well it would lose in assembly elections across the five states to be held in November and would also suffer defeat in the 2024 Lok Sabha election. He contended that it was the reason central agencies like ED, CBI and the Income Tax department were conducting raids on the premises of opposition leaders and lodging cases against them. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp
PATNA: With the Opposition bloc ‘INDIA’ yet to resolve the contentious issue of deciding its Prime Ministerial face for the 2024 Lok Sabha election, RJD chief and former Bihar Chief Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav on Thursday heaped praise on former Congress president Rahul Gandhi for his adherence to the principle of social justice.
Speaking on the occasion of Bihar’s first chief minister Sri Krishna Singh’s birth anniversary at the Congress headquarters here, Lalu said, “We have kept the flag of social justice high and so Rahul is also doing.”
He also praised Rahul for announcing that a caste-based survey would be conducted in the entire country if the ‘INDIA’ alliance is voted to power at the centre in 2024. The RJD president also contended that the Prime Ministerial candidate for the ‘INDIA’ alliance would be decided without any difficulty.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });
Incidentally, Lalu did not talk about alliance partner and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar a single time when he was applauding Rahul for his ‘adherence’ to the principle of social justice and his announcement for the caste-based survey.
Lalu said that the BJP was desperate after the release of the caste-based survey and questioned how it was possible for any caste having a population of one per cent to demand more posts. The RJD supremo claimed that power would be “shared in proportion” to the population of various castes and that the BJP would be moved out of power.
This was Lalu’s first visit to the Congress headquarters ‘Sadaqat Ashram’ after six years. Congress leaders said that the last time Lalu had visited Sadaquat Ashram was in 2017.
“We are working together and we are going to organise a ‘Remove BJP, Save Country’ rally in the state capital. The wave of change will emanating from there and it will sweep the entire country as BJP is set to suffer a crushing defeat in the 2024 Lok Sabha election,” Lalu said.
He claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and RSS would not be able to do anything in the election.
Lalu also claimed that the BJP knew well it would lose in assembly elections across the five states to be held in November and would also suffer defeat in the 2024 Lok Sabha election. He contended that it was the reason central agencies like ED, CBI and the Income Tax department were conducting raids on the premises of opposition leaders and lodging cases against them. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp
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For last 10 years, you’ve only done negative politics, now uttering bitter words for INDIA: Kharge slams PM Modi
By PTI
NEW DELHI: Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Sunday hit back at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his ‘quit India’ jibe at the opposition, saying it is ‘our victory’ that those who did not remember the ‘Quit India Movement’ for 75 years are doing so now.
Kharge’s attack on Modi came hours after the prime minister, while addressing an event to lay the foundation stone for the redevelopment of 508 railway stations, accused the opposition of playing ‘negative politics’ and said now the entire country is rooting for corruption, dynasty and appeasement to ‘quit India’.
Hitting back at Modi, Kharge said, “Prime Minister Modi, For the last 10 years, you have only done negative politics of divisiveness.
You are now uttering bitter words for INDIA as well.”
“You have not been able to control Manipur violence in the last three months. Your divisive politics has pitted communities against each other, leading to a civil war-like situation. More than 150 people have been killed so far,” Kharge said in a tweet in Hindi.
प्रधानमंत्री मोदी जी,पिछले 10 सालों से आपने केवल तोड़ने की नकारात्मक राजनीति की है। आपकी वाणी से अब INDIA के लिए भी कटु शब्द निकल रहें हैं।1️⃣ पिछले 3 महीने से मणिपुर हिंसा को आप क़ाबू नहीं कर पाए हैं। आपकी विभाजनकारी राजनीति ने समुदायों को आपस में ऐसे लड़वाया है कि वहाँ गृह…
— Mallikarjun Kharge (@kharge) August 6, 2023
The Congress chief said the whole country is watching what is happening in Haryana.“Where there have been no riots for decades, your government and your ‘Sangh Parivar’ people are making a brother fight with his brother. Radical criminals are enemies of the society, irrespective of which religion they belong to,” Kharge said.
The Congress president alleged that in the last 10 years, Modi has only given this country unemployment, inflation, economic inequality, poverty, insecurity for women, Dalit oppression and social injustice.
“All this needs to end. It seems impossible for your government. There is disappointment in the public.
Instead of solving the problems, the Prime Minister finds a new inauguration programme for himself every day. He does politics during government events – attacks the opposition,” Kharge said.
“Your political forefathers pitted Indians against Indians, supported British rule, served as informers for them and strongly opposed Quit India (movement). Had a suspect role in the conspiracy to assassinate Gandhi. Opposed the tricolour. They did not hoist it till 52 years of independence. Sardar Patel had to warn them for boycotting the tricolour,” Kharge said.
The Quit India Movement which was not remembered for 75 years, is now being remembered by them, Kharge said adding that “this is our victory”.
“Bharat judega, INDIA jeetega,” Kharge said.
After laying the foundation stone for the redevelopment of the railway stations via video conferencing, Modi on Sunday morning alleged that a section of the opposition is driven by the principle of neither working nor letting others work.
“Unfortunately, in our country, there is a section of the opposition who even today won’t do anything themselves and won’t allow others to do anything either. They are stuck with this attitude,” he said.
Referring to the Quit India Movement anniversary on August 9, the prime minister said it was a historic day that created new energy in India’s struggle for Independence.
Today the whole country is roaring ‘Quit India’ for every evil, corruption, dynasty and appeasement, he said.
“Inspired by the Quit India Movement, the entire country is now roaring Quit India for every evil, saying ‘corruption, quit India’, ‘dynasty, quit India’, ‘appeasement, quit India’,” Modi said.
NEW DELHI: Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Sunday hit back at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his ‘quit India’ jibe at the opposition, saying it is ‘our victory’ that those who did not remember the ‘Quit India Movement’ for 75 years are doing so now.
Kharge’s attack on Modi came hours after the prime minister, while addressing an event to lay the foundation stone for the redevelopment of 508 railway stations, accused the opposition of playing ‘negative politics’ and said now the entire country is rooting for corruption, dynasty and appeasement to ‘quit India’.
Hitting back at Modi, Kharge said, “Prime Minister Modi, For the last 10 years, you have only done negative politics of divisiveness.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });
You are now uttering bitter words for INDIA as well.”
“You have not been able to control Manipur violence in the last three months. Your divisive politics has pitted communities against each other, leading to a civil war-like situation. More than 150 people have been killed so far,” Kharge said in a tweet in Hindi.
प्रधानमंत्री मोदी जी,
पिछले 10 सालों से आपने केवल तोड़ने की नकारात्मक राजनीति की है। आपकी वाणी से अब INDIA के लिए भी कटु शब्द निकल रहें हैं।
1️⃣ पिछले 3 महीने से मणिपुर हिंसा को आप क़ाबू नहीं कर पाए हैं। आपकी विभाजनकारी राजनीति ने समुदायों को आपस में ऐसे लड़वाया है कि वहाँ गृह…
— Mallikarjun Kharge (@kharge) August 6, 2023
The Congress chief said the whole country is watching what is happening in Haryana.“Where there have been no riots for decades, your government and your ‘Sangh Parivar’ people are making a brother fight with his brother. Radical criminals are enemies of the society, irrespective of which religion they belong to,” Kharge said.
The Congress president alleged that in the last 10 years, Modi has only given this country unemployment, inflation, economic inequality, poverty, insecurity for women, Dalit oppression and social injustice.
“All this needs to end. It seems impossible for your government. There is disappointment in the public.
Instead of solving the problems, the Prime Minister finds a new inauguration programme for himself every day. He does politics during government events – attacks the opposition,” Kharge said.
“Your political forefathers pitted Indians against Indians, supported British rule, served as informers for them and strongly opposed Quit India (movement). Had a suspect role in the conspiracy to assassinate Gandhi. Opposed the tricolour. They did not hoist it till 52 years of independence. Sardar Patel had to warn them for boycotting the tricolour,” Kharge said.
The Quit India Movement which was not remembered for 75 years, is now being remembered by them, Kharge said adding that “this is our victory”.
“Bharat judega, INDIA jeetega,” Kharge said.
After laying the foundation stone for the redevelopment of the railway stations via video conferencing, Modi on Sunday morning alleged that a section of the opposition is driven by the principle of neither working nor letting others work.
“Unfortunately, in our country, there is a section of the opposition who even today won’t do anything themselves and won’t allow others to do anything either. They are stuck with this attitude,” he said.
Referring to the Quit India Movement anniversary on August 9, the prime minister said it was a historic day that created new energy in India’s struggle for Independence.
Today the whole country is roaring ‘Quit India’ for every evil, corruption, dynasty and appeasement, he said.
“Inspired by the Quit India Movement, the entire country is now roaring Quit India for every evil, saying ‘corruption, quit India’, ‘dynasty, quit India’, ‘appeasement, quit India’,” Modi said.
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‘Ulterior political motives’: Opposition slams govt over extension to ED Director Sanjay Mishra
By PTI
NEW DELHI: The opposition slammed the BJP-led Centre on Friday over the extension of the tenure of Enforcement Directorate (ED) chief Sanjay Kumar Mishra till September 15, alleging that this was done with ‘ulterior political motives’ and was aimed at targeting the leaders of the INDIA bloc with ‘false case’ to weaken the alliance.
The Supreme Court on Thursday extended Mishra’s tenure till the midnight of September 15 in larger ‘public and national interest’, after the Centre asserted that his continuity is necessary in view of the ongoing FATF peer review and attempts by India’s neighbours to ensure that the country gets into the ‘grey’ list.
The top court, which initially made a sharp observation and asked “Are we not giving a picture that there is no other person and the entire department is full of incompetent people”, subsequently relented and accepted the Centre’s request for extending Mishra’s tenure, but for a month less than what was sought.
Addressing a joint press conference outside Parliament, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) MP Manoj Jha alleged that Mishra was given the extension despite illegality.
“It has been done for ulterior political motives. There is talk in the corridors of power that there will be an attempt to break the INDIA alliance by resorting to lies. We know about this and we want to tell this to the government,” he said.
Samajwadi Party MP Ram Gopal Yadav said the Supreme Court asking “whether there is no other person and the entire department is full of incompetent people” was telling.
“There is an attempt to oblige one person and there is a conspiracy to trap opposition leaders in false cases,” he alleged.
The Congress’s deputy leader in the Rajya Sabha, Pramod Tiwari, also referred to the apex court’s observation and wondered why Mishra was given an extension for only a month and a half and what would happen in this period.
“They (BJP) did everything to destabilise governments in Bihar, West Bengal and Jharkhand, but failed politically. Now, they are using agencies and want to slap false cases on opposition leaders. INDIA has come to the fore and is saying BJP gaddi choro (quit power),” he said.
Trinamool Congress’s (TMC) Sushmita Dev alleged that the ED is a ‘weapon that works for the BJP’.
“The Bihar, West Bengal and Jharkhand governments were targeted using agencies. They wanted to destabilise these governments and weaken the INDIA alliance,” she said.
Twenty-six opposition parties have formed the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) to take on the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) unitedly in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
On July 11, the top court held that two back-to-back year-long extensions granted to Mishra were ‘illegal’ and said the Centre’s orders were in ‘breach’ of its mandamus (judicial writ) in a 2021 verdict that the Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer should not be given a further term.
It had also curtailed Mishra’s extended tenure to July 31 from November 18, 2023, when he was supposed to retire.
Mishra was first appointed as the ED director for two years on November 19, 2018. By an order dated November 13, 2020, the Centre modified the appointment letter retrospectively and Mishra’s two-year term was changed to three years.
The Centre also promulgated an ordinance last year under which the tenure of the ED and CBI chiefs could be extended by up to three years after the mandated two-year term.
NEW DELHI: The opposition slammed the BJP-led Centre on Friday over the extension of the tenure of Enforcement Directorate (ED) chief Sanjay Kumar Mishra till September 15, alleging that this was done with ‘ulterior political motives’ and was aimed at targeting the leaders of the INDIA bloc with ‘false case’ to weaken the alliance.
The Supreme Court on Thursday extended Mishra’s tenure till the midnight of September 15 in larger ‘public and national interest’, after the Centre asserted that his continuity is necessary in view of the ongoing FATF peer review and attempts by India’s neighbours to ensure that the country gets into the ‘grey’ list.
The top court, which initially made a sharp observation and asked “Are we not giving a picture that there is no other person and the entire department is full of incompetent people”, subsequently relented and accepted the Centre’s request for extending Mishra’s tenure, but for a month less than what was sought.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });
Addressing a joint press conference outside Parliament, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) MP Manoj Jha alleged that Mishra was given the extension despite illegality.
“It has been done for ulterior political motives. There is talk in the corridors of power that there will be an attempt to break the INDIA alliance by resorting to lies. We know about this and we want to tell this to the government,” he said.
Samajwadi Party MP Ram Gopal Yadav said the Supreme Court asking “whether there is no other person and the entire department is full of incompetent people” was telling.
“There is an attempt to oblige one person and there is a conspiracy to trap opposition leaders in false cases,” he alleged.
The Congress’s deputy leader in the Rajya Sabha, Pramod Tiwari, also referred to the apex court’s observation and wondered why Mishra was given an extension for only a month and a half and what would happen in this period.
“They (BJP) did everything to destabilise governments in Bihar, West Bengal and Jharkhand, but failed politically. Now, they are using agencies and want to slap false cases on opposition leaders. INDIA has come to the fore and is saying BJP gaddi choro (quit power),” he said.
Trinamool Congress’s (TMC) Sushmita Dev alleged that the ED is a ‘weapon that works for the BJP’.
“The Bihar, West Bengal and Jharkhand governments were targeted using agencies. They wanted to destabilise these governments and weaken the INDIA alliance,” she said.
Twenty-six opposition parties have formed the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) to take on the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) unitedly in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
On July 11, the top court held that two back-to-back year-long extensions granted to Mishra were ‘illegal’ and said the Centre’s orders were in ‘breach’ of its mandamus (judicial writ) in a 2021 verdict that the Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer should not be given a further term.
It had also curtailed Mishra’s extended tenure to July 31 from November 18, 2023, when he was supposed to retire.
Mishra was first appointed as the ED director for two years on November 19, 2018. By an order dated November 13, 2020, the Centre modified the appointment letter retrospectively and Mishra’s two-year term was changed to three years.
The Centre also promulgated an ordinance last year under which the tenure of the ED and CBI chiefs could be extended by up to three years after the mandated two-year term.
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Opposition alliance will rebuild idea of India in Manipur: Rahul hits back at PM
By PTI
NEW DELHI: Hitting back at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his remarks on the opposition alliance, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday said ‘call us what you want’, but ‘we are INDIA’ and ‘will rebuild the idea of India in Manipur’.
Modi slammed the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) as the most directionless the country has ever seen and cited reviled names, such as East India Company and Indian Mujahideen, to assert that people cannot be misled merely by the use of the country’s name.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi said the prime minister told a BJP Parliamentary Party meeting that the conduct of the opposition has been such that as if it has decided to stay in the opposition for long.
Hitting back at Modi, Gandhi tweeted: “Call us whatever you want, Mr Modi.
We are INDIA. We will help heal Manipur and wipe the tears of every woman and child. We will bring back love and peace for all her people.”
“We will rebuild the idea of India in Manipur,” the former Congress chief said.
Call us whatever you want, Mr. Modi.We are INDIA.We will help heal Manipur and wipe the tears of every woman and child. We will bring back love and peace for all her people.We will rebuild the idea of India in Manipur.
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) July 25, 2023
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Ramesh Bidhuri said the prime minister said even those with a design to divide the country had names like East India Company and Indian Mujahideen, but people will not be misled by these gimmicks.Former Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said Modi told the BJP leaders that Indian National Congress and the East India Company were founded by foreigners.
He said people were also using names, such as Indian Mujahideen and Popular Front of India, and their realities were quite different from what they tried to project.
NEW DELHI: Hitting back at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his remarks on the opposition alliance, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday said ‘call us what you want’, but ‘we are INDIA’ and ‘will rebuild the idea of India in Manipur’.
Modi slammed the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) as the most directionless the country has ever seen and cited reviled names, such as East India Company and Indian Mujahideen, to assert that people cannot be misled merely by the use of the country’s name.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi said the prime minister told a BJP Parliamentary Party meeting that the conduct of the opposition has been such that as if it has decided to stay in the opposition for long.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });
Hitting back at Modi, Gandhi tweeted: “Call us whatever you want, Mr Modi.
We are INDIA. We will help heal Manipur and wipe the tears of every woman and child. We will bring back love and peace for all her people.”
“We will rebuild the idea of India in Manipur,” the former Congress chief said.
Call us whatever you want, Mr. Modi.
We are INDIA.
We will help heal Manipur and wipe the tears of every woman and child. We will bring back love and peace for all her people.
We will rebuild the idea of India in Manipur.
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) July 25, 2023
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Ramesh Bidhuri said the prime minister said even those with a design to divide the country had names like East India Company and Indian Mujahideen, but people will not be misled by these gimmicks.Former Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said Modi told the BJP leaders that Indian National Congress and the East India Company were founded by foreigners.
He said people were also using names, such as Indian Mujahideen and Popular Front of India, and their realities were quite different from what they tried to project.
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I.N.D.I.A’s protest demanding PM’s statement on Manipur to continue through night
By PTI
NEW DELHI: Leaders of opposition alliance INDIA will continue their agitation on the Parliament premises through the night against the suspension of AAP leader Sanjay Singh and over their demand that the prime minister open the debate on Manipur in the House.
The protest, which began on Monday morning, will see leaders of the INDIA alliance taking turns with a team sitting near the Gandhi statue through the night, senior leaders said, adding the protest will continue on Tuesday as well.
READ MORE: Opposition protest to continue till PM makes statement on Manipur issue: Manickam Tagore
The last time an all-night protest was organised by the opposition leaders was in July last year when 20 suspended Rajya Sabha members started a 50-hour relay protest inside the Parliament complex.
AAP MP Sanjay Singh, who was suspended from the Rajya Sabha for the remainder of the Monsoon session, is expected to sit at the protests through the night.
Singh’s wife has already brought essentials for him at the site.
“All parties have drawn up rosters of their leaders who will represent them through the day and night. Leaders will take turns.”There is full solidarity among the parties.While the move is to protest Singh’s suspension. It is also a protest demanding the PM speak on Manipur whether in Rajya Sabha or Lok Sabha,” a senior leader said.
Sources said that leaders of the INDIA combine have been adamant on the demand that Prime Minister Narendra Modi open the discussion on the violence in Manipur and several parties have rebuffed the government’s efforts to placate them.
Sources said that Defence Minister and Deputy Leader of Lok Sabha, Rajnath Singh made called up Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge, DMK leader TR Balu and TMC leader Sudip Bandyopadhyay to convey the government’s intention of discussing Manipur.
However, none of them relented on their demand for the prime minister to make a statement on the matter in Parliament, sources said.
Leaders of the INDIA alliance also said the opposition’s demand for the prime minister’s statement in Parliament on the violence in Manipur was conveyed to the BJP on July 16, four days ahead of the Monsoon Session.
NEW DELHI: Leaders of opposition alliance INDIA will continue their agitation on the Parliament premises through the night against the suspension of AAP leader Sanjay Singh and over their demand that the prime minister open the debate on Manipur in the House.
The protest, which began on Monday morning, will see leaders of the INDIA alliance taking turns with a team sitting near the Gandhi statue through the night, senior leaders said, adding the protest will continue on Tuesday as well.
READ MORE: Opposition protest to continue till PM makes statement on Manipur issue: Manickam Tagoregoogletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });
The last time an all-night protest was organised by the opposition leaders was in July last year when 20 suspended Rajya Sabha members started a 50-hour relay protest inside the Parliament complex.
AAP MP Sanjay Singh, who was suspended from the Rajya Sabha for the remainder of the Monsoon session, is expected to sit at the protests through the night.
Singh’s wife has already brought essentials for him at the site.
“All parties have drawn up rosters of their leaders who will represent them through the day and night. Leaders will take turns.”There is full solidarity among the parties.While the move is to protest Singh’s suspension. It is also a protest demanding the PM speak on Manipur whether in Rajya Sabha or Lok Sabha,” a senior leader said.
Sources said that leaders of the INDIA combine have been adamant on the demand that Prime Minister Narendra Modi open the discussion on the violence in Manipur and several parties have rebuffed the government’s efforts to placate them.
Sources said that Defence Minister and Deputy Leader of Lok Sabha, Rajnath Singh made called up Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge, DMK leader TR Balu and TMC leader Sudip Bandyopadhyay to convey the government’s intention of discussing Manipur.
However, none of them relented on their demand for the prime minister to make a statement on the matter in Parliament, sources said.
Leaders of the INDIA alliance also said the opposition’s demand for the prime minister’s statement in Parliament on the violence in Manipur was conveyed to the BJP on July 16, four days ahead of the Monsoon Session.