“A nation with a robust democratic character requires a strong and effective opposition,” Mamata Banerjee said in a letter.
Kolkata: With barely a few days left for the Presidential elections in India, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has shot off a letter to the Opposition leaders asking them to attend a meeting in New Delhi to discuss on the road ahead and the strategies.
According to a statement issued by the Trinamool Congress, the letter has been sent to Banerjee is learnt to have written a letter to Arvind Kejriwal (Chief Minister, Delhi), Pinarayi Vijayan (Chief Minister, Kerela), Naveen Patnaik (Chief Minister, Odisha), Kalvakuntla Chandrashekar Rao (Chief Minister, Telangana), Thiru M K Stalin (Chief Minister, Tamil Nadu), Uddhav Thackeray (Chief Minister, Maharashtra), Hemant Soren (Chief Minister, Jharkhand), Bhagwant Singh Mann (Chief Minister, Punjab), Sonia Gandhi (President, INC), Lalu Prasad Yadav (President, RJD), D Raja (General Secretary, CPI), Sitaram Yechury (General Secretary, CPIM), Akhilesh Yadav (President, Samajwadi Party), Sharad Pawar (President, NCP), Jayant Chaudhary (National President, RLD), H D Kumaraswamy (former CM of Karnataka), H D Deve Gowda (MP, former PM of India), Farooq Abdullah (President, JKNC), Mehbooba Mufti (President, PDP), S Sukhbir Singh Badal (President, Shiromani Akali Dal), Pawan Chamling (President, Sikkim Democratic Front), K M Kader Mohideen (President, IUML).
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In the letter, Mamata Banerjee has written, “The Presidential elections are around the corner, presenting the perfect opportunity for all progressive opposition parties to reconvene and deliberate on the future course of Indian politics. The election is monumental because it gives legislators the opportunity to participate in deciding the Head of our State who is the custodian of our democracy. At a time when our democracy is going through troubling times, I believe that a fruitful confluence of opposition voices is the need of the hour; to echo the deprived and unrepresented communities.”
She added, “A nation with a robust democratic character requires a strong and effective opposition. All progressive forces in this country need to remain aligned and resist the divisive force that is plaguing us today. Opposition leaders are being deliberately targeted by different Central agencies, the country’s image is maligned internationally and bitter dissensions are created within. It is time we strengthen our resistance.”
