West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday (August 20) requested opposition
party leaders to set aside their differences and unite against BJP during the 2024 Lok
Sabha polls and proposed the creation of a core group that will decide on the plan of action
and actions.
The TMC chief addressed a virtual meeting of opposition parties that Congress interim
president Sonia Gandhi arranged.
The opposition parties must ignore who will be the party’s head, a press statement from
the party stated.
“Let us forget who will be the leader and keep our interests aside.
Every opposition party should be brought in. The fight is against BJP. In these meetings,
those not allied with the Congress must also be invited,” she added.
“The people will lead; they are the leaders.
So let us set up a core group and work together to decide on the following line of action
and programs,” the press release quotes her as saying.
At the time of the meeting, Banerjee brought up the question of how impartial institutions
such as the NHRC are being misused to the Centre to slander government officials in states
controlled by the opposition.
“Our party supremo at the meeting raised the farmers’ issue and the issue of torture
unleashed by the central government against various opposition-ruled state governments,”
the statement read.
Banerjee suggested issues for which collaboration could be initiated, including repealing
farm law and a record fuel price increase and a judicial inquiry into the Pegasus
surveillance row.
“She also proposed movement against privatization of the public sector assets,” the press
release said.
Banerjee added that opposition parties should also be fighting to get the monthly amount
of Rs 7500 to those who do not fall within the tax bracket for income, the statement added.
