Migrant crisis: Opposition led by Congress meet today, political notables choose to stay away

Last updated on February 13th, 2023 at 04:40 pm

Opposition Indian National Congress (INC) has called for a meeting with other opposition parties to discuss the plight of migrant labourers today.

The Congress expects at least 20 opposition leaders will join the lunch meeting called by the party president Sonia Gandhi. Due to the going coronavirus lockdown, all leaders will join the meet through video conferencing.

The party is trying to build a platform where leaders can share inputs on the future of migrants who have been displaced due to the ongoing lockdown. The party is also going to strategize on the recent dilution of labour laws in some states.

Other items on the list are the plight of farmers in this crisis.

Among those who have accepted the invitation to join the meet is Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray.

Communist Party leader Sitaram Yechury is going to join the meet.

Many political notables have refused to join the meeting – which includes Bahujan Samaj Party supremo Mayawati, and Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav has declined to join the meet. Delhi Chief Minister and AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal will also stay away.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee might join the conference.

Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren, DMK head MK Stalin, and NCP supremo Sharad Pawar will be there.

The meeting was earlier slotted to be held in April. However, other opposition parties had objected to it. Now there is a growing consensus that opposition parties would need a common platform to discuss steps taken by the Narendra Modi government to deal with the corona pandemic.

The lockdown imposed since March has caused severe distress to the small, medium businesses, farmers, and, worst of all, the daily wage earner.

Read: Tamil Nadu charts new plan to contain COVID-19 cases in red zones

Many parties are also unhappy with the stimulus package announced by the government last week.

It is reported that Parliamentary Committees have become non-functional and have not met for the past two months. Member of Parliaments has written to Lok Sabha Speaker and Rajya Sabha Chairperson to set up virtual meetings. However, the government as raised objections over the use of cameras during such crucial meets.

Opposition parties have raised concerns over actions taken by the finance and home ministry and other critical ministries during the lockdown. The parties want to scrutinize actions taken by these ministries.

To Read more Politics News: https://indiaobservers.com/category/politics/