Rashtrapati Bhavan Would Allow Representatives From Only Five Parties Citing Covid-Related Restrictions
New Delhi:
A team of opposition leaders, mostly Congress and left-wing parties, will meet with President Ram Nath Kovind tonight to present a memorandum on the farmers issue. The meeting comes amid talks about a rift within the opposition. A section of Trinamool congressional leaders said the party decided to stay away from the meeting with the president, due to the impression that only leftist parties and Congress were “dominating the show.”
In total, 24 opposition parties back the farmers’ protest and were supposed to present a memorandum to President Kovind today. But the Rashtrapati Bhavan has decided to allow representatives from just five parties, citing Covid-related restrictions.
The delegation that will meet with the president includes Rahul Gandhi from Congress, Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar, Sitaram Yechury from CPM, D Raja from CPI and TKS Elangovan from DMK.
There was a change of plan: only those attending the meeting with President Kovind will sign the memorandum, as other political parties have already shown their support for the farmers’ demand to remove the new agricultural laws from the Center.
Sources from the Trinamool Congress indicated that the party was upset by the decision. The party was considering sending a deputy with the delegation, but ultimately decided not to.
“We don’t need any certificate about our commitment to farmers. Mamata Banerjee doesn’t need any certificate,” said one leader, reflecting the mood of the party.
Another top leader rejected talks about any division. “Everyone knows that Mamata Banerjee is at the forefront of the farmers’ cause and this is just a game by Sitaram Yechury,” he said.
Opposition parties, which tried to block agricultural bills in parliament, had previously asked the president not to sign them. The bills, they had said, were passed in the Rajya Sabha in an undemocratic manner. However, the President had consented to all three bills.
Yesterday’s national shutdown called by the farmers was supported by most opposition parties, including Congress, the Aam Aadmi Party, DMK and Telangana Rashtra Samithi.
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