"Geedad ikatthe hokar bhi ladein toh sher ka muqabla karte hain kya?": Meenakashi Lekhi on efforts at opposition unity
Apr 14, 2023
New Delhi [India], April 14 : BJP leader and Union Minister of State for External Affairs Meenakshi Lekhi on Friday took a swipe at opposition parties over their attempts at unity for the 2024 battle and asked "if jackals come together, can they fight a lion".
The remarks came amid back-to-back meetings between some opposition parties over the last two days towards unity to take on the BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
"Kya farak padta hai? Geedad ikatthe hokar bhi ladein toh sher ka muqabla karte hain kya? (What difference does it make? Even if jackals fight together, can they fight a lion?)," Lekhi said when asked about efforts being made for opposition unity ahead of the 2024 general election.
She said there is no need to pay attention to such matters and keep the focus on work.
NCP chief Sharad Pawar on Thursday met Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and party leader Rahul Gandhi as part of efforts to forge opposition unity with the discussions centring on the need to talk to other parties and to move together in the fight for various issues concerning people.
The meeting took place at Kharge's residence with the leaders talking about the beginning of the process to unite the Opposition.
Kharge said Pawar came directly from Mumbai and "provided us guidance" and referred to the talks on Wednesday after Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav met him and Rahul Gandhi.
Pawar said a process has to be started for opposition unity and it is just the beginning.
He also said talks will be held with leaders of other opposition including Mamata Banerjee, Arvind Kejriwal to try to integrate them into the process.
Rahul Gandhi said it is just the beginning and all parties are committed to the process.
The meetings are being seen as an attempt by Congress and other opposition parties to take forward their "unity" displayed during the budget session of Parliament session that concluded on April 6. The session saw continuous disruptions over the opposition's demand for a JPC probe into the Hindenburg-Adani row. The opposition parties also slammed the government over the disqualification of Rahul Gandhi from Lok Sabha following his conviction by a Surat court in a criminal defamation case.
