Union Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal said on Friday (June 23), following the opposition meeting in Patna, that the meeting only raised concerns about their collective strength and effectiveness in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. He backed up his point by citing the schism that arose between the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Congress after the former demanded clarity from the latter on the ordinance issue but received no response. Following their participation in the mega opposition meeting, AAP leaders Arvind Kejriwal, Bhagwant Mann, and Raghav Chadha chastised the grand old party for remaining silent on the Centre's Delhi ordinance.
Despite the fact that numerous leaders urged Congress to publicly condemn the "Black Ordinance," the party refused to do so during a meeting of "like-minded parties".
"The opposition parties' lack of unity and a clear stance raises concerns about their collective strength and effectiveness in the upcoming Lok Sabha 2024 elections", the minister said, according to a video shared by news agency ANI.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) criticised the perceived unity among opposition leaders, calling it a façade. Key leaders such as Odisha Chief Minister Navin Patnaik, Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao, and BSP supremo Mayawati were absent. While Patnaik and KCR declined to attend the meeting, Mayawati was not invited.
"The absence of these influential leaders calls into question the opposition's collective strength and inclusiveness in opposing BJP," the minister can be heard saying in the video.
AAP in a statement said: "A total of 15 parties are attending the like-minded party meeting in Patna, out of which 12 have representation in the Rajya Sabha. Except for the Indian National Congress, all other 11 parties, which have representation in the Rajya Sabha, have clearly expressed their stand against the Black Ordinance and announced that they would oppose it in the Rajya Sabha".
The AAP has been outspoken about its concerns, claiming that the Delhi ordinance not only jeopardises the elected government in Delhi, but also jeopardises India's democracy as a whole.
Another Union Minister claimed that there's no unity in the opposition by pointing out Kejriwal's exit from the meeting. Union Minister RK Singh said: "It is clear after today's Opposition meeting that they are not united as no decision was taken. Kejriwal left before attending the joint press conference".
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