After Aam Aadmi Party's decision to take part in the joint opposition meeting in Bengaluru, BJP on Sunday slammed AAP and stated that the party "should not be trusted," news agency ANI reported. Speaking with reporters, West Bengal BJP President Dr Sukanta Mazumdar said: "Let the opposition parties come together, later they will go different ways."
AAP's decision came after political affairs committee meeting of the Aam Aadmi Party that took place on Sunday to deliberate on the party’s participation in the Opposition meeting. The meeting was attended by Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann via video conferencing. Ahead of the meeting, when asked if AAP will attend the Opposition meeting, AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal said, "Can only say about that after the Political Affairs Committee (PAC) meeting.”
Slamming the joint opposition meeting, BJP National Spokesperson Rajyavardhan Rathore said: "Congress and other opposition parties fighting for existence, to secure their own future, not for the country."
"Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra should have sought opinion of Punjab and Delhi units of Congress party as both units are speaking otherwise," said BJP leader RP Singh.
While taking a dig at Congress, BJP spokesperson Jaiveer Shergill applauded the grand old party for becoming AAP’s “spare-wheel.”
"Kejriwal openly calls Congress corrupt & Punjab Cong leaders jailed by AAP Govt. Cong celebrated AAP leaders arrests in “Delhi Liquour Scam”. Yet,Cong supports AAP on Ordinance defying Punjab & Delhi Cong Unit. “Hate for PM Modi” only glue for Opposition Unity! No agenda, No ideology & No leader -Only lust for power," he tweeted.
Meanwhile, the Janata Dal (United) applauded the AAP's decision to attend the conference.
During the previous Opposition meeting in Patna on June 23, the AAP said that it would be "very difficult" to join any coalition that includes the Congress until the grand old party explicitly rejected the Centre's services law.
Kejriwal met with opposition figures like as Mamata Banerjee, Uddhav Thackeray, Sharad Pawar, Akhilesh Yadav, and Hemant Soren to seek their support in defeating the ordinance in the Rajya Sabha.
Ahead of the AAP meeting on Sunday, Congress said that it will not support the ordinance in Rajya Sabha hinting towards paving a clear way for AAP to remain in the united front against Bharatiya Janata Party in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
"For the past many years, PM Modi's govt has brought in several ordinances one after the other. On every ordinance, the Congress party has objected in some way or the other...We don't want a law to be passed through ordinance...," said West Bengal Congress President Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury.
On Saturday, the Congress, after its parliamentary strategy meeting, announced that it will corner the Modi government during the upcoming Monsoon Session of the Parliament on various issues including “attack on the federal structure by the Modi government” other than issue of Manipur violence, rail safety among others.