INDIA bloc meeting ends with consensus on 5 issues
What's the story
The Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) bloc has reached a consensus on five key issues during its first formal meeting in New Delhi. The meeting was attended by 25 parties and was led by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge. "The INDIA alliance meeting has concluded, with 25 parties in attendance. Everyone shared their views, and subsequently, we reached a consensus on five points," Kharge said at a press conference after the meeting.
Meeting agenda
Key issues discussed during the meeting
Khare said, "It was agreed to send a letter to the Chief Justice of India on SIR, vote loot and stealing elections. The letter is to be delivered to the Chief Justice of India very soon." Second, they unanimously agreed to demand the immediate resignation of the Education Minister "because he presided over the betrayal of lakhs of youth who appeared for NEET and CBSE examinations."
Resignation demand
Bloc calls for all-party meeting
The alliance also called for an all-party meeting "to discuss the precarious current economic situation, unemployment, price rise and farmers' issue and other people-centric issues," he said. Kharge announced that all parties agreed to meet every two months to discuss progress on these issues. The next meeting will be held in Hyderabad in August. The Parliament coordination will continue during the monsoon session with daily morning meetings in the Office of the Leader of the opposition, he added.
Election aftermath
Meeting held after assembly election results in 4 states
The meeting came after recent assembly polls in four states and Puducherry. While non-BJP parties won in Kerala and Tamil Nadu, the results were a setback for the opposition in West Bengal and Assam, where the BJP won. The Trinamool Congress (TMC), which was defeated in West Bengal after 15 years, had reportedly requested this meeting. While the meeting was underway, veteran Rajya Sabha MP Sukhendu Shekhar Ray resigned from the TMC.
Meeting boycott
DMK boycotts meeting over Congress's 'betrayal'
The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) had decided to boycott the meeting, accusing the Congress of "betrayal." The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) also skipped the meeting after ruling out an alliance with the Congress. It said that the Congress simply seeks strength for itself and that it betrayed the DMK in Tamil Nadu by allying with Vijay's TVK following the state elections.