Opposition meet: Issues plaguing country to be discussed at meeting in Patna, says Sharad Pawar

NCP chief Sharad Pawar. Pic/PTI

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar on Friday said various important issues plaguing the country, including the current situation in violence-hit Manipur, will be discussed in the meeting of Opposition parties in Patna, reported news agency PTI.

According to PTI, top leaders of opposition parties will meet in the Bihar capital on Friday to chalk out a roadmap for the formation of an anti-BJP front for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. The meeting is being hosted by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar (JDU) and his deputy Tejashwi Yadav (RJD).

Talking to reporters in Pune before leaving for Patna, Sharad Pawar said, "We will be discussing some important issues that are being faced by the country, including the situation in Manipur."

Incidents like people hitting the streets and creating law and order situation have been taking place, especially in non-BJP ruled states, Sharad Pawar said.

"It is clear who is behind this, and it is not good for the country. The focus of the meeting is to deliberate on these issues and chalk out a future plan. Leaders from other states may put forth their concerns," he was quoted as saying by PTI.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, party leader Rahul Gandhi, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, her Delhi counterpart Arvind Kejriwal, Punjab's Bhagwant Mann, Tamil Nadu's M K Stalin, Jharkhand's Hemant Soren, Samajwadi Party supremo Akhilesh Yadav, Maharashtra's former chief minister Uddhav Thackeray, and NCP president Sharad Pawar are among the leaders expected to attend it.
Leaders of the PDP, CPI(M), CPI, CPI(ML) and the National Conference will also attend the first high-level opposition meeting.

A day before the crucial deliberations, fissures in the Opposition ranks came to the fore with Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) sources saying the party will walk out of the meeting if the Congress does not promise its support against the Centre's ordinance on the control of administrative services in Delhi.

All eyes are on the meeting's agenda and whether the Centre's ordinance on the control of administrative services in the national capital would be a key part of the discussions as the AAP wants.

Keeping cards close to its chest, the Congress has so far kept its stand ambiguous as to whether it would support the AAP or not when the ordinance is put to test in Parliament by the BJP-led Centre.

Asked about the ordinance issue and AAP's ultimatum, Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge, before leaving for Patna on Friday morning, said his party would decide on it before the Monsoon Session of Parliament.

The opposition meet is being hosted by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar of JD(U) and his deputy Tejashwi Yadav of RJD at the former's Aney Marg residence.

(With inputs from PTI)