Cong calls for unity among 'progressive, secular, democratic'

Amid intense efforts to form an opposition alliance against the BJP-led NDA, the Congress today called upon the "progressive, secular, democratic" forces to come together in order to defeat the saffron party's "politics of polarisation".
Accusing the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government of adopting "vendetta politics" towards opposition leaders, senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh told a press conference here, "It is becoming clear that a broad coalition has to be built to defeat the BJP.
"The progressive, secular, democratic forces have to come together. How that happens is something we have to think about."
The Congress' pitch for building a "broad coalition" came on a day when top non-NDA leaders, including its vice- president Rahul Gandhi, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury and Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Derek O'Brien, came on a single platform in Chennai to attend DMK patriarch M Karunanidhi's completion of 60 years as a member of legislative assembly.

The former Union minister alleged that the BJP had won the recent Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls by "dividing the people on communal lines".
"Politics of polarisation is the reason why they (BJP) won the Uttar Pradesh polls," he said.

The Congress leader's call came in the backdrop of party chief Sonia Gandhi initiating an effort to find a consensus candidate of the opposition parties for the upcoming presidential election.
She has met several opposition leaders, including Bihar Chief Minister and JD(U) chief Nitish Kumar and CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury, in this regard.
President Pranab Mukherjee's term ends on July 24.

Ramesh, a key Congress strategist, said the party's defeat in the 2014 general election was a "huge psychological setback" for its leaders and workers, but asserted that it would emerge as a "powerful force in two years".
"It took us time to recover from the shock. But, we are re-grouping now. We are certainly sending a message to the people and in the next two years, you will see a revitalised, refreshed and a more aggressive Congress party," he said.
Ramesh said even though the Congress was not in power in many states, it was still a major national party with a presence everywhere.

He further alleged that any bill tabled in Parliament was being declared a money bill "to deprive the opposition of the opportunity" to seek changes to the bill in the Rajya Sabha and "suppress their voice on policy matters".
The Rajya Sabha member added that this was being done, despite the fact that Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, Health Minister J P Nadda and Urban Development Minister M Venkaiah Naidu were members of the Upper House.
He alleged that the government was "using" the CBI, Enforcement Directorate (ED) and other central investigating agencies against the opposition leaders saying, "This is politics of vendetta, politics of threat."

Ramesh further alleged that the BJP was "using" the recent notification of the Centre banning sale and purchase of cattle at animal markets for slaughter for "political gains".
"The manner in which the legislation is being brought out has little to to do with faith and more to do with the politics of the BJP. It is the politics of polarisation," he said.