Opposition leaders meet over breakfast to chalk out joint strategy, Rahul Gandhi calls for unity

NEW DELHI: Leaders of several opposition parties attended a breakfast meeting hosted by former Congress President Rahul Gandhi at the Constitution Club here on Tuesday where stress was laid on opposition unity.

The Opposition stands united against Modi sarkar's undemocratic ways.
The Opposition stands united to uphold our nation's interests. pic.twitter.com/bXwLK13NDG

— Congress (@INCIndia) August 3, 2021

Several opposition MPs led by Gandhi later cycled to Parliament to highlight the issue of fuel price hike. Some opposition MPs, who could not cycle, walked down to Parliament.

Among the leaders who attended the meeting were Saugata Roy, Kalyan Banerjee, Mohua Moitra (TMC), Sanjay Raut and Priyanka Chaturvedi (Shiv Sena), Manoj Jha (RJD), Kanimozhi (DMK) and Ram Gopal Yadav (SP).

श्री @RahulGandhi जी विपक्ष के वरिष्ठ सांसदों के साथ नाश्ते पर चर्चा करते हुए।

देश के लोकतंत्र पर भाजपाई प्रहार के खिलाफ विपक्ष एकजुट है। यह देश बचाने की लड़ाई है। #UnitedForDemocracy pic.twitter.com/E9ZdVYGE3O

— Congress (@INCIndia) August 3, 2021

Leaders of 17 opposition parties were invited at the breakfast meeting, but the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) did not attend.

Shri @RahulGandhi led a discussion with Opposition leaders from NCP, Shiv Sena, CPI(M), RJD and others, on national issues.

The Congress party and the Opposition stands united against Modi govt's anti-people policies.#UnitedForDemocracy pic.twitter.com/a1SpiqDBgv

— Congress (@INCIndia) August 3, 2021

Trinamool Congress, which had skipped the last meeting of Opposition leaders by Gandhi, was also present at today’s breakfast meet.

“The single motive to invite you is that we should unite.The more this voice unites, the more powerful it will become, the more difficult it will become for the BJP and RSS to suppress this voice,” Gandhi said at the meeting.

“We should remember the foundation of unity and it is important that now we start to come up with the principles of this foundation,” he told the opposition leaders.

We stand against Modi govt's 'aapda me avsar' mentality.
We stand against BJP's loot of our citizens.
We stand against Modi-made mehengai.

Enough is enough!#UnitedForDemocracy pic.twitter.com/eOuniz0K1O

— Congress (@INCIndia) August 3, 2021

After the meeting, leaders of opposition parties cycled to Parliament from Constitution Club to highlight the high fuel prices and express their solidarity with the people who are suffering due to the high fuel prices.

“As far as fuel prices are concerned, the people of India are struggling and if we cycle from here to Parliament, it will have an impact,” Gandhi said.

Covid19 mismanagement,
skyrocketing inflation,#PegasusSnoopgate,
farm laws and more.

We stand united against each and every one of Modi govt's anti-people policies.#UnitedForDemocracy pic.twitter.com/yI0U5oYrtT

— Congress (@INCIndia) August 3, 2021

Besides Gandhi, senior Congress leaders Mallikarjun Kharge, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, KC Venugopal, Anand Sharma and P Chidambaram were present at the meeting.

The meeting comes amid continued standoff between the opposition and the government over the Pegasus snooping issue with the opposition demanding a discussion in Parliament and a Supreme Court monitored probe in the matter.

The government is, however, saying that this is a non-issue and does not want it to be discussed in Parliament.

Kharge said leaders of various parties have been invited for the meeting and are expected to discuss issues like Pegasus, farmers’ matter, and the need for a joint Parliament strategy.

“Nobody in the government is listening. So we have decided to get together. The opposition is united and we are all together,” Kharge said at the meeting.

Source: Press Trust of India