New Delhi: AICC Chairperson Sonia Gandhi on Friday virtually interacted with 19 various party leaders who are against BJP. Sonia Gandhi said to 19 various party leaders that all like minded parties irrespective of their alliance with the Congress should be part of a united front to take on the BJP.

After the virtual meeting with various party leaders, Congress released a joint statement demanding action from the Centre on 11 points. Regional parties indirectly told the Congress to drop its big brother attitude when West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and NCP Chief Sharad Pawar said all parties who want to work together for saving democratic principles and ethos of our country must be allowed to come together, during the meeting,.

TMC, NCP, DMK, Shiv Sena, JMM, CPI, CPI(M), NC, RJD, AIUDF, VCK, Loktantrik Janata Dal, JD(S), RLD, RSP, Kerala Congress (Mani), PDP and  IUML party leaders. Former Congress Chief Rahul Gandhi also attended the meeting. AAP, BSP and SP gave it a miss.

Sonia Gandhi in her address at the virtual meeting said the monsoon session of Parliament saw opposition unity but the larger political battle has to be fought outside it and the ultimate goal is the Lok Sabha elections – 2024.

         We all have our compulsions, but clearly, a time has come when the interests of our nation demand that we rise above them, she said. Banerjee also talked about keeping aside personal egos and proposed that there should be a core committee to rightfully address the issues that the people of India are facing.

Every opposition party should be brought in to fight against BJP and for these meetings, those even not allied with the Congress must be invited, calling for reaching out to AAP, YRS Congress, TRS and BJD, she said. NCP chief Sharad Pawar called for taking a time-bound action programme collectively to take on the BJP.

Those who believe in democracy and secularism, those who like to work together for saving the democratic principles and ethos of our country must come together, he said. The leaders have agreed to hold joint protests across India from September 10 to 20.

         Joint statement of the Congress and 19 various parties released a 11point charter of demands are as follows: –

• Ensure Covid – 19 vaccine for all and augment all vaccines’ production capabilities in India
• Must implement free cash transfer of Rs 7,500 for every person outside income tax bracket
• Rollback of fuel and LPG price hike
• Repeal of the three anti-farmer agriculture laws
• Stop privatisation of the public sector units
• Implement monetary stimulus packages for revival of MSMEs
• Vastly enlarge MGNREGA with increasing work guarantee for 200 days in a year
• Prioritize the vaccination of teachers, staff and students
• Judicial probe on snopping through Pegasus spyware
• Release all political prisoners, including those arrested under the draconian UAPA
• Restore full statehood in J&K

After the virtual meeting, soon after the release of Congress joint statement, TMC released five point agenda to the Centre are as follows: –

• Vaccine for all
• Repeal farm laws
• Fuel and LPG price hike
• Rs 7,500 per month to all outside income tax bracket
• Judicial probe on Pegasus