Opposition leaders meet today, joint campaign against demonetisation, GST is on the agenda

Opposition leaders are meeting today to sharpen attack on the Narendra Modi government over issues like demonetisation and the Goods and Services Tax (GST). Two months ago all the parties had decided to wage a joint campaign against the government on issues like farmers’ protest, growing unemployment and attack on Dalits and minorities, according to a report.

At the last meeting on August 11, which was attended by leaders of 16 parties, the opposition had decided to form a core group to discuss and decide joint campaign plans. “That small group, leaders from six or seven parties, will meet Monday,” a senior opposition leader said. Notably, NCP had skipped the meeting.

The names of leaders or parties who will attend Monday’s meeting are yet to be ascertained. It is not clear whether the NCP has been invited to the meeting. Ties between the Congress and NCP had soured after the high voltage Rajya Sabha elections in Gujarat which saw Ahmed Patel



emerging victorious. NCP leader Praful Patel had then linked his party’s decision to skip the meeting with Rajya Sabha elections. After the elections, Gujarat Congress chief Bharatsinh Solanki had announced that Congress will have no seat-sharing arrangement with NCP since its two MLAs reportedly voted for BJP candidates in the polls.

Meanwhile, unfazed by the Opposition attack over demonetisation and GST, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today vowed to continue the process of taking “important decisions” regarding the reforms as he asserted that the economy is on track after “hardcore” decisions. He also had reached out to traders over GST, assuring them that their past records will not be checked by the Income Tax department if they join the formal economy by getting themselves registered under the new tax regime. “After all reforms and hard decisions, the economy of the country is on track and is going in the right direction,” PM Modi said.