Sena, TMC, BSP, DMK, SP, AAP skip Congress-led opposition meet on CAA, NRC

The opposition once again failed to form a consensus in putting up a united front against the Centre despite massive protests across the country against CAA, NRC, and the violence against students among other issues.

The meeting, called by the Congress party, comes in the backdrop of protests against Citizenship (Amendment) Act in different parts of the country.

A number of major opposition parties turned down a call by Sonia Gandhi for a meeting of “like-minded parties” to formulate a joint strategy to counter the government on Citizenship (Amendment) Act, the National Register of Citizens (NRC) and other issues.

After Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati, Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Admi Party (AAP), Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress (TMC) and even Congress-allied Shiv Sena refused to attend the meeting called by Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi.

Along with Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress and Mayawati’s BSP, Congress’s ally DMK also chose to stay away from the meet attended by representatives of 20 parties.

It is to be noted that BSP, AAP had opposed the CAA in the Parliament while Shiv Sena (after backing the bill in the lower house) had refrained from participating when the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill came up for voting in the Rajya Sabha.