Meeting held to build 'alternative narrative' to counter BJP: Oppn.

Leaders of 16 Opposition parties, led by Congress president Sonia Gandhi, on Friday met to chalk out an "alternative narrative" to counter the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Addressing the media after the meeting, Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPM) general secretary Sitaram Yechury said that the opposition parties have to build an "alternative narrative" to counter Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP.

He told reporters that this could be done through effective strategy and taking up pro-people issues such as agrarian crisis.

Leader of Opposition, Ghulam Nabi Azad said the main agenda was to thank the presidential and vice-presidential candidates of the opposition parties.

"This is our third or fourth meeting. The agenda was to thank the presidential and vice-presidential candidates of the opposition parties. We want to thank Meira Kumar ji who was our presidential candidate. We also want to thank Gopal Krishna Gandhi who was our vice-presidential candidate. We would like to thank whoever has voted in their favour. All MPs and MLAs have contributed during voting and elections," he said.

He further said that the Opposition would raise various issues in the Parliament like farmers, unemployment etc.

Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) J.P. Yadav attacked the Centre and said the nation is under an "undeclared" emergency and the criminals are sitting at the Centre.

"In our nation there is an 'undeclared' emergency. Lalu ji is attacked by the BJP. Rahul Gandhi Ji was attacked in Gujarat by the BJP. Farmers are dying everywhere. Flood situation has arrived in many states, but they do not care about anything," he said.

"In the name of cow vigilantism, human beings are being killed brutally. The BJP is lost in attitude and dictatorship. Minority communities are targetted everywhere. There is insecurity everywhere in India," he added.

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