PatnaRahul is approached by Kejriwal:At the joint opposition meeting in Patna on Saturday (June 24), Aam Aadmi Party supremo Arvind Kejriwal emphasized the need for Rahul Gandhi to "forget the differences" and move forward together amid tension over the Congress's position on the Center's Delhi ordinance, according to AAP sources.
Rahul was informed by Kejriwal that the disagreements could be "resolved over tea."
"Arvind Kejriwal told Rahul Gandhi that they could settle any disagreements over tea when they spoke directly about the ordinance. According to a party source, Kejriwal stated during Friday's opposition meeting that we must put aside our differences and work together.
Kejriwal even skipped the joint press conference of the opposition leaders in Patna, which took place shortly after the meeting ended at the Bihar Chief Minister's residence. The AAP had issued an ultimatum that it would not participate in the next meeting scheduled for Shimla next month if Congress did not clarify its position on the Delhi ordinance.
The meeting was attended by the top leaders of more than fifteen parties, including the Congress, AAP, TMC, DMK, RJD, Samajwadi Party, PDP, and others.
Sources said that the AAP is yet to decide if it will attend the opposition parties' next meeting scheduled in Shimla, given the situation at present. The next meeting with be chaired by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, tentatively on July 10 or 12 in Shimla, in which the next course of action is likely to be formulated.
Rahul-Kejriwal was asked to "sit for lunch" by Mamata, who intervened.According to AAP sources, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who attended the meeting as well, stepped in and suggested that Rahul and Kejriwal have lunch together and discuss all matters. According to AAP sources, Kharge accused an AAP spokesperson of making "wrong" remarks about the Congress at the conclusion of the meeting.
"Our national convener Arvind Kejriwal responded by stating unequivocally that Congress spokespersons had also made false accusations against AAP. That being said, we must put aside our differences and unite," the source continued.
ALSO READRahul emphasized the importance of discussion over obedience.The source added that Rahul Gandhi emphasized the need for a discussion process regarding the ordinance.
"The Congress leaders did not respond when Kejriwal asked them to set a time for the next meeting. The Congress was urged to clarify its position on the ordinance and schedule a meeting to discuss it by all of the top opposition leaders in attendance, according to the source.
Kejriwal described his party's presence and support for the Congress in the appropriate areas, according to the source.
"Kejriwal had opposed the cancellation of Rahul Gandhi's Lok Sabha membership. It is unlikely that the opposition will come together if Gandhi and the Congress are scared to meet AAP leaders. The Congress has not budged despite our repeated requests for an appointment with the leadership," he stated.
However, Kharge stated that the decision to oppose the Center's ordinance on the control of administrative services in Delhi would be made prior to the Parliament session and questioned why the issue was being discussed outside of Parliament.
When the opposition parties decided to challenge the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, they made an effort to sketch the lines of battle yesterday.
Following its verbal spat with the grand old party, the AAP declared on Friday that any alliance with the Congress would be extremely challenging.
Many parties asked the Congress to publicly condemn the "black ordinance" at the opposition meeting in Patna, but the grand old party declined, raising questions about its true motivations, according to a statement released by the AAP following the meeting.
(With inputs from PTI)ALSO READ