After Bihar CM and JD(U) chief Nitish Kumar jolted the tenuous opposition unity by shifting sides, senior leader Sharad Yadav put up a show of strength by bringing leaders from 17 parties on a single forum with a message to save the country's composite culture.
Former prime minister Manmohan Singh, Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi and CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury were present along with others during the function held to target the BJP and its aggressive nationalism. Gandhi attacked PM Narendra Modi and RSS for their divisive agenda.
Yadav had gathered all these leaders for his conclave, “Save Composite Culture”, in Delhi. The septuagenarian leader is fighting a battle of survival against the JD(U) led by Nitish Kumar. Yadav's future within the party will be decided at the national meet on Saturday in Patna. Sharad claimed that he had the support of more state units. This will be tested during the party meet.
Ahead of his party meet, Sharad organised a conclave, the prime motive of which was to attack the BJP-led NDA.
Rahul's sharp attack on BJP and RSS became the highlight of the meeting. He accused Modi of lying. “Modi says we need swachch Bharat, we say we need sach Bharat. If we come together, he will be nowhere to be seen,” Gandhi said during the conclave.
“RSS knows that its ideology cannot win in India that is why it is filling all the institutions with its people. Constitution gives the right of one man, one vote. RSS wants to change it and the Constitution,” Gandhi charged.
Speaking during the conclave, Yadav appeared to compare the NDA rule with that of Adolf Hitler. "When the people of India and world stand together then even Hitler cannot win,” he said.
The BJP hit out at the opposition gathering saying it all these people were scared of the rising stature of the ruling party. These people had lost against us, so they have unionised, BJP leader and union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said.
The conclave comes days after the opposition suffered setback in the presidential and vice presidential elections where it tried to put up an “ideological fight”. Nitish deserted their camp.
Sharad Yadav now wants to conduct these conclaves all over the country, but before that, he has another battle at hand—retaining control over the JDU. If he is expelled, he may have to forgo his Rajya Sabha seat.
