Opposition Unity? SP, Congress Ally DMK Absent From Opposition Meet On CAA; AAP, Shiv Sena Say ‘Not Invited’

The opposition meeting on the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) convened by the Congress in New Delhi along with some like-minded parties began in Delhi on Monday (13 January), but the Samajwadi Party (SP) and the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) failed to attend the meet.

While the Trinamool Congress and the Bahujan Samaj Party had already refused to attend the meeting, the Shiv Sena and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) said they were not invited.

A total of 15 parties are attending the meeting.

The meeting is being chaired by interim Congress president Sonia Gandhi and includes former prime minister Manmohan Singh, former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP)'s Sharad Pawar, Communist Party of India - Marxist (CPI-M)'s Sitaram Yechury, Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren, apart from others. The leaders deliberated on formalising a joint strategy against the CAA as protests continued across the country.

The Rashtriya Lok Samata Party (RLSP) was represented by Upendra Kushwaha while Jitan Ram Manjhi from the Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) attended the meet.

From the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) P Kunhaily Kitty, All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF)'s chief Sirajuddin Ajmal and CPI's D Raja were also present.

(With inputs from IANS)