Those not allied with Cong should also be invited: Mamata on Oppn unity

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Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee addressed a virtual meeting against the Central Government at her residence, Kalighat in Kolkata on Aug 20, 2021.

New Delhi, (Asian independent) West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee on Friday emphasised on opposition unity and said that those who are not allied with the Congress should also be invited to join hands, sources said.

Banerjee made the remarks at the opposition parties’ meeting called by interim Congress chief Sonia Gandhi.

As per sources, Banerjee said during the meeting, “Forget who is the leader, let’s keep our personal interests aside. People will lead.”

Stressing on opposition unity ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Banerjee said, “Every opposition party should be brought in. The fight is against the BJP. For this, those not allied with the Congress should also be be invited in the meetings.”

“Let’s set up a core group and work together,” Banerjee said.

The sources said that Banerjee also accused the BJP government at the Centre of misusing the central agencies.

“The NHRC has been misused to target Bengal,” she said.

During the meeting, Banerjee also listed some urgent issues which she said need to be focused on, such as Covid vaccine for all, repealing the three farm laws, and rollback of unprecedented hike in fuel prices, among others.

The sources said that Banerjee also demanded a judicial probe into the alleged Pegasus snooping row.

The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), DMK, Shiv Sena, Jharkhand Mukti Morcha, CPI, CPI-M, National Conference, Rashtriya Janata Dal, AIUDF, VCK, Loktantrik Janta Dal, JDS, RLD, RSP, Kerala Congress Mani, PDP and IUML were also part of the meeting convened by Sonia Gandhi.

However, the Samajwadi Party, the Aam Aadmi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party were not part of the meeting.