Congress general secretary KC Venugopal on Monday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah of sabotaging democracy in India. Venugopal urged all Opposition parties to unite and fight against the "dictatorship" of Modi and his government. He also met Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray in Mumbai.
Venugopal said that the Modi government disrupted proceedings during the previous Parliamentary session and that the Central Bureau of Investigation and the Enforcement Directorate were targeting Opposition parties, particularly the Shiv Sena (UBT). He also noted that there were differences among political parties, but that the country was facing a bigger issue that required broader unity, reported news agency PTI. Venugopal said that Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi had met Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and his deputy Tejashwi Yadav as well as NCP supremo Sharad Pawar to discuss the situation.
Thackeray, without naming PM Modi, called the current dispensation at the Centre "power-hungry" and a "man-eater", the PTI report stated. He stated that the Shiv Sena was committed to fighting for democracy and that he had spoken to Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi as well. Thackeray also criticized BJP national president JP Nadda's recent comments in Mumbai, where he claimed that there would be no other party left in the country.
The Shiv Sena (UBT), Congress, and the Nationalist Congress Party form the Maha Vikas Aghadi, which was in power in Maharashtra until June last year. A rebellion by Eknath Shinde led to a split in the Sena, and Shinde became chief minister with the support of the Bharatiya Janata Party.
Earlier on Saturday, Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal attacked the BJP-led Centre and said that the saffron party wants 'Opposition-free India' and that is why Union Home Minister keeps saying that they will get over 300 seats in the next year's Lok Sabha elections. Citing an example of how a BJP leader knew about seats his party will get - this, he added, needs the attention of the Election Commission and honourable courts in the country. He asked the constitutional bodies to look into the matter.
Last week, NCP chief Sharad Pawar met Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi and other leaders. After the meeting, Pawar said: "Our thinking is exactly what Kharge ji told you. But mere thinking will not help. A process needs to be started... This is just the beginning. After this, talks will be held with other important opposition parties - be it Mamata Banerjee, Arvind Kejriwal, or others - to try to integrate them into this process..."