Ali Anwar attends Oppn. party meeting, stands suspended from JD(U) parliamentary party

The Janata Dal (United) (JD(U)) on Friday said that MP Ali Anwar stands suspended from JDU's parliamentary party as he participated in the Opposition parties' meeting called by Congress president Sonia Gandhi.

"MP Ali Anwar stands suspended from JD(U)'s parliamentary party after he participated in the Opposition parties' meeting. This was against the party," JD(U) general secretary K.C. Tyagi told ANI.

Ali Anwar, on his part, remains defiant. He told ANI that somebody needs to come forward to challenge the current policies in India.

"The public is with us. Somebody needs to come forward to challenge the current policies. An Ali Anwar has to come forward," he said.

The joint Opposition meet was called to discuss unity and chalk out a strategy against the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Central Government.

The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) also skipped today's meeting after the Congress suggested that the former had betrayed it in the recent Rajya Sabha elections in Gujarat.

The reason, sources say, might be the NCP being miffed with the Congress after it expressed doubt over its integrity.

There were reports that two MLAs of the NCP in Gujarat might have voted for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and not for Congress candidate Ahmed Patel in the Rajya Sabha elections.

After the intense political developments and the Election Commission (EC) declaring two votes invalid, Ahmed Patel was able to retain his Rajya Sabha seat.

The decision was taken on a complaint of the Congress.