Opposition meeting today to plan strategy against Modi govt: Yechury

Opposition leaders will be meeting virtually under the leadership of Congress President Sonia Gandhi and three Chief Ministers.

A virtual meeting of top opposition leaders to finalise a 'common Strategy against Modi government' and to raise several issues related to the public, including price rise, Pegasus snooping, COVID-19 mismanagement, unemployment and economic slowdown is scheduled for Friday. The meeting would be chaired by Congress interim President Sonia Gandhi.

Speaking to ANI, Communist Party of India (Marxist) CPI(M) General Secretary, Sitaram Yechury affirmed that he would be joining the meeting of opposition leaders called by Sonia Gandhi.

"We will discuss and finalise the strategy to raise the problems faced by the general public and the issues that the government did not allow to discuss in the monsoon session of the Parliament that concluded recently," Yechury said.

"We have to take up the issues related to the common man. The questions are about COVID-19 mismanagement, shortage of vaccine, economic slowdown, unemployment, hunger, price hike of essential commodities, the farmers issue, government privatisation policy and Pegasus snooping row. All these questions were to be discussed in the Parliament and the government did not allow the discussion so, we will go to the public regarding all these issues," Yechury elaborated.

The CPI(M) General Secretary further told ANI that in the opposition meeting, scheduled for today, the leaders will discuss and finalise a common strategy to go in public with and to expose the Modi government's "real face".

Today, opposition leaders will be meeting virtually under the leadership of Congress President Sonia Gandhi and top leaders, including three Chief Ministers, including Mamta Banerjee CM of West Bengal, Uddhav Thackeray CM of Maharashtra, and M K Stalin CM of Tamil Nadu. NCP President Sharad Pawar, CPI(M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury, CPI General Secretary D Raja, among others are expected to join the meeting.

The meeting is a part of the Congress party's efforts to unite various opposition parties on key issues to set the platform to defeat BJP in the upcoming assembly elections in 5 states.

In the recently concluded monsoon session of the Parliament, opposition parties displayed unity, leading to disruption of both Houses. The opposition leaders had given several Suspension of Business notices, Adjournment Motion Notice and had sought a discussion on the Pegasus snooping row, along with the farm laws and other issues.

Today's meeting is being held in the backdrop of the government demanding strict action against those who indulged in unruly behaviour in the Upper House during the passing of the Insurance Amendment Bill.