NEW DELHI: On a day when interim Congress chief Sonia Gandhi convened a joint strategy meeting of the Opposition against the Centre’s push on the Citizenship Amendment Act and the National Register of Citizens, those who did not make it managed to hog the headlines.
The no-show of six parties —Trinamool Congress, BSP, SP, AAP, DMK and Shiv Sena — is significant as they are powerful in their respective regions.
Senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad sought to look at the positive side, saying all six of them had already expressed reservation against the CAA-NRC.
“Whether they attend the meeting or not, all are together against the CAA-NRC. Some parties who could not come have declared their opposition. They could not come because of their reasons,” said Azad.
Those who attended included NCP’s Sharad Pawar, CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury, CPI general secretary D Raja, Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren and leaders from RJD, PDP and NC.
The DMK is reportedly unhappy over statements by the TN Congress leaders on it not adhering to coalition dharma during the local body polls. According to sources, DMK leader T R Baalu was in the national capital but was directed to stay away from the meeting.
Trinamool chief Mamata Banerjee had announced her boycott last week.
As for SP and BSP, they appear to be unhappy over the Congress support to Dalit leader Chandrasekhar Azad and constant attack on them by general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.
New entrant Shiv Sena, too, opted out. While Congress sources cited a “communication gap” as the reason, a senior Sena leader said while the party is opposed to NRC, it kind of avoided sharing stage with the Opposition.
Also missing was AAP, which has maintained a distance from giving any direct statement on CAA-NRC keeping in mind Delhi elections next month. However, AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh said that the party did not get an invite.
The meeting urged all chief ministers of Opposition ruled states to consider following the Kerala example on putting enumeration for the National Population Register on hold, as it is a prelude to NRC.
They adopted a resolution demanding the withdrawal of CAA and stopping the NRC-NPR process.
Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi, NCP head Sharad Pawar, Manmohan Singh, Rahul Gandhi, Sitaram Yechury, D Raja and others at an Opposition meet on Monday
THE DELHI DIALOGUE AND THE NO-SHOW HEADLINE MAKERS
Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi, NCP head Sharad Pawar, Manmohan Singh, Rahul Gandhi, Sitaram Yechury, D Raja and others at an Opposition meet on Monday
Mamata Banerjee
Cross with the Congress and the Left parties over violence in Bengal during Bharat Bandh
Mayawati
Angry with the Congress for having poached Bahujan Samaj Party’s six MLAs in Rajasthan
Akhilesh Yadav
With Priyanka active, he fears a rejuvenated Cong in UP will eat into the SP’s Muslim vote bank
Arvind Kejriwal
Can’t be seen sharing space with the Cong as Delhi Assembly election is barely a month away
Uddhav Thackeray
Though Sena is opposed to CAA, he is said to be keen on avoiding sharing stage with Opposition
M K Stalin
Upset with the TN Cong unit for its sniping at ally DMK over raw deal in the local body elections