Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar did not want the Opposition alliance to be named ‘INDIA’ because it has the letters, ‘NDA’ in it, sources said on July 18.
Sources said that the name INDIA was proposed to everyone in an informal meeting on July 17. Suggestions were sought on the name from all Opposition leaders, and later on July 18, everyone agreed to it.
Following this, Nitish Kumar agreed to the name. “All right, if all of you are okay with it (the name INDIA), then it is fine,” the Bihar Chief Minister was quoted by a source as saying.
Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi chief Thol Thirumavalavan said that the name was proposed by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
“The name of the Opposition alliance- INDIA was proposed by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. After a long discussion, it was decided to be called as ‘Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance,” Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi chief told ANI.
On the other hand, Congress leader Supriya Shrinate said that Rahul Gandhi justified why it should be INDIA during the discussion in the meeting. “It is a collective effort. We all sat together, and we all decided on names. Rahul ji spearheaded this, he justified why it should be INDIA. He argued for it,” Supriya Shrinate told ANI.
It should also be noted that Nitish Kumar and Lalu Yadav were not present in the press conference following the Bengaluru Opposition meet because the weather department predicted bad weather conditions, and Nitish Kumar was getting late for a conference.
Moreover, it needs to be mentioned that several Opposition leaders like Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Kumar were not present at the press conference.
The representatives of the 26 parties who met for the brainstorming meeting in Bengaluru also decided to set up an 11-member coordination committee, including all the major parties, and a ‘secretariat’ in Delhi for campaign management and for coordinating the working of various sub-committees, which will take up specific issues.
“The next Opposition meeting will be held in Mumbai; the date will be announced soon. An 11-member coordination committee will be set up. Names of committee members will be announced in Mumbai,” Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said.
On July 18, in a scathing attack on the Opposition parties meeting in Bengaluru, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said people see it as a gathering of the “corrupt” and alleged that these parties provide cover to each other when “their corruption is exposed”.
He took a jibe at the Opposition parties, using words like “jamat” and ‘kunba’ and urged people to stay alert.
“People of the country say that this is a ‘Kattar bhrashtachar sammelan’…Another speciality of this meeting is that if someone is out on bail in a corruption of crores of Rupees, they are seen with great respect. If the entire family is out on bail, they are more honoured…If someone insults a community and is punished by the court, he is honoured,” he said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi referred to a Bollywood song and said people put up many faces.
“You see how many faces these people have put up. When these people come together in a frame the thought that comes to the mind of people is of corruption of thousands of crores. The people are saying that ‘kattar bharashtachari sammelan’ is taking place,” he said. He accused the Opposition parties of pursuing dynastic politics.
“In democracy, it is of the people, by the people and for the people. But for the dynastic political parties, it is of the family, by the family and for the family. Family first, nation nothing. This is their motto… There is hatred, corruption and appeasement politics. The country is a victim of the fire of dynastic politics. For them, only their family’s growth matters not that of the poor in the country,” he said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said people have already decided to bring the BJP-led NDA back to power in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
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