Narendra Modi govt wants Opposition-free India, won't happen, says Sharad Yadav

Jaipur: Rebel JD(U) leader Sharad Yadav Thursday hit out at the Narendra Modi government, alleging it wanted an Opposition-free India, which, he said will never happen. He made the remarks here at the third ‘Sanjhi Virasat Bachao’ convention, a platform floated by him to rally anti-BJP forces after the JD(U) under Nitish Kumar joined the NDA. [caption id=“attachment_3924343” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] File image of Sharad Yadav. PTI[/caption] The meeting was attended by leaders of Opposition parties, including CPM’s Sitaram Yechury, Congress’ Anand Sharma and Sachin Pilot, TMC leader Sukhendu Roy and RLD’s Jayant Chaudhary. “You (the BJP) want an Opposition-free India and not a Congress-free India. But this will never happen. We will join hands to save our composite culture,” Yadav said, asserting their objective was to unite all political parties. Leader of Opposition in Rajasthan Assembly Rameshwar Dudi and Rajya Sabha MP Ali Anwar Ansari, who was suspended from the JD(U) last month, and National Conference leader Surjeet Singh also attended the event. Yadav said in the 2014 General Election to Lok Sabha, people had voted “against” the NDA and the BJP as it had only 31 per cent of the total vote share. “We are not option-less. There are many issues but the challenge is that the opposition is scattered. At Panchkula, a baba was convicted and he was not the sole culprit…even those (politicians) who asked for his support (are culprits). “When religion and politics meet, then a country becomes Iraq, Syria, and Pakistan,” he said, adding “the work of politics is to serve the people,” he added. He hit out at the BJP-led government for “unfulfilled promises, failure of demonetisation, cow vigilantism and woes of farmers, labourers and small traders”. CPM general secretary Yechury said the opposition parties coming together was “not a coalition for elections” but to save the country’s composite culture. “They are taking the nation towards fascism,” he alleged. Pilot, the state unit chief of Congress, said when Rajiv Gandhi was the prime minister he never spoke of an “Opposition-free” India but BJP wants an India without the Congress and opposition. “(But) this is not going to happen, today or tomorrow,” he said, claiming all agencies in the country are asked to target the Opposition. Congress’ Sharma, a former Union minister, said the country does not want a “pracharak” but requires an “administrator”. He added that a country runs on principles and not deceit. Rashtriya Lok Dal’s leader Choudhary also hit out at the NDA government.