BJP slammed for ‘atrocious methods’ at Opposition's Patna meet: Who said what?
A high-level Opposition meeting was held in Patna, Bihar Friday, where 15 non-BJP parties participated to chalk out a strategy for 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
The high-level Opposition meeting held in Patna, Bihar, to chalk out a strategy for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections concluded on Friday. The leaders pledged alliance against Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Bharatiya Janata Party- ruling at the Centre, whom the Opposition leaders accused of being "tyrants” who are “targeting the country's foundation.” (Opposition meeting in Patna LIVE updates)
Several leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee, her Bihar counterpart Nitish Kumar, and Uddhav Thackeray among others, trained guns at the BJP for their “atrocious” methods of using probe agencies such Central Bureau of Investigation and the Enforcement Directorate against those "expressing dissent”. Patna meeting marked the first high-level meeting of the 15 non-BJP parties, in which it was also announced that the next meeting will be held in Shimla in Himachal Pradesh from July 10-12 to decide the seat sharing strategy.
Here is who said what in the post-meeting press conference:
Bihar CM Nitish Kumar- “Next meeting in Shimla will be held to decide seat sharing strategy…it was a good meeting where it has been decided to fight the elections together….”
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge- “All the leaders want to fight together on a common agenda…We will meet in Shimla on 10-12 July where we form our agenda…We will fight together in 2024 to defeat the BJP and are hopeful that we will succeed in the 2024 election…We will have to evolve separate plans for every state and we will work together to dethrone the BJP at the Centre."
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi- “There is an assault happening on the foundation of India….attack on institutions…This is an ideological war and we will work together even as some of us have differences…We will work together with flexibility…the opposition unity is a process and it will move deeper.”
Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee-"Many CMs, ex-CMs were present…the meeting was well organised…We had held many meetings in Delhi but didn't get any fruitful results. So, I suggested that we should meet in Patna…We are united…but don't call us Opposition….we are also patriotic, if Manipur burns, we feel pain…BJP is doing atrocity on Opposition governments in the non-BJP states by making the Raj Bhavan(governor) as an alternative government….Anyone who dissents, faces ED, CBI raids…they file cases but don't talk about unemployment, or economy, or speak about the fund crunch for central schemes….If BJP wins again, Indian will be destroyed….BJP wants the history to be changed but we want the history to be saved…"
NCP chief Sharad Pawar- “The meeting has shown us the way…"Just like the JP movement, which started here (Patna), our united front will get the blessings of the people…"
Former Jammu and Kashmir CM Mehbooba Mufti- “The way our democracy, our constitution is attacked, it started in Jammu and Kashmir…We will not allow Gandhi's country to turn into Godse's country….”
Former Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray: “We will stand against tyrants…We have different ideologies, but we have come together to save the diversity and integrity of the country
Communist Party of India's D Raja- “We discussed current political situation of the country….BJP's rule is disastrous and detrimental to the interests of India…a communal corporate nexus has emerged…”
Former J-K CM Omar Abdullah- “This is not a fight for power but to save the idea of India…Mehbooba Mufti and I belong to that part of the country, where democracy is murdered….PM speaks of democracy in the White House but why doesn't democracy reach J&K…17 parties from Kashmir to Kanyakumari have come together not for power, but for principles…everyone agreed in the meeting that J&K must have election.”
Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader Sitaram Yechury-"The BJP wants to change the secular democratic character of our country….The opposition will also undertake many joint programmes…"
Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren- “This is the first glimpse of what is going to come…all the leaders will move together with a positive thinking."
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav- “The message from Patna meeting is clear for all of us that we need to work together to save the country.”
RJD president Lalu Prasad- “After many days, I am meeting you….we will discuss the future road map in Shimla meeting…The people used to say that the opposition remains divided and votes get divided….People of our country want us to fight unitedly against BJP and RSS…PM Modi is distributing sandalwood in the US when the country facing problems; I'm fit now, can take on him…The BJP used to fight in the name of Hanuman. Now Hanuman ji is with us…Rahul Gandhi did very good job in Bharat Jodo Yatra and spoke well in Lok Sabha on Adani.”
