Janata Parivar unites against Modi government over black money, conversion
Six political parties of the erstwhile Janata Parivar - Samajwadi Party, Janata Dal (United), Rashtriya Janata Dal, Janata Dal (Secular), Indian National Lok Dal and Samajwadi Janata Party - shared a common platform on Monday.
The regrouped Janata Parivar staged a Mahadharna or massive protest against the Narendra Modi government at New Delhi's Jantar Mantar on Monday over various issues, including black money and conversions.
Six political parties of the erstwhile Janata Parivar - Samajwadi Party, Janata Dal (United), Rashtriya Janata Dal, Janata Dal (Secular), Indian National Lok Dal and Samajwadi Janata Party - shared a common platform on Monday.
"Across the nation, PM Modi had campaigned and said he will bring back black money. What happened to the promises he made?" former Bihar chief minister and JD(U) leader Nitish Kumar said.
"The government should stop misusing religion for political gains," SP leader Azam Khan said, adding, "I ask for a job from Modi from my son. Will he have to convert to get one?"
RJD chief Lalu Prasad also took a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi and alleged that his government is trying to divide the nation.
SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav also endorsed Lalu Prasad and said that the BJP is trying to spread riots in the country.
Sources said that while the grand merger of the former constituents could take time, the beginning would be made with the merger of Lalu Prasad's RJD and Nitish Kumar's JD(U), the process for which will kick-start soon after the Monday moorings. Noting that a united fight by Janata Parivar was needed to challenge the BJP, Prasad had a few days back said, "It is a permanent alliance. We have been missing it for long. Now it has been cemented".
"Elections are scheduled in Bihar next year and the urgency to put up a united fight against a resurgent BJP is more there than in Uttar Pradesh or Karnataka, where SP and Janata Dal (Secular) may not be in a hurry," said a senior JD(U) leader who declined to be identified. Assembly election will be held in Uttar Pradesh in 2017.
After facing a complete rout at the hands of the BJP-led alliance in Lok Sabha elections in Bihar, JDU-RJD and Congress contested the Assembly bye-elections held a few months back recovering lost ground to a large extent. JD(U) president Sharad Yadav, a prime mover behind the unity moves, said on Saturday that the December 22 'Mahadharna' in New Delhi would be the "first solid step" for merger but no timeline could be fixed for it.
The demonstration on Monday came after SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav hosted a lunch last month for leaders of five political parties - Janata Dal (United), Janata Dal (Secular), Indian National Lok Dal, SJP and Rashtriya Janata Dal - at his residence in New Delhi, which was attended by Sharad Yadav and Nitish Kumar, Lalu Prasad, JD(S) leader H.D. Deve Gowda, INLD's Dushyant Chautala and SJP's Kamal Morarka.
RJD chief Lalu Prasad's daughter Raj Lakshmi is getting married to SP supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav's grandson and Lok Sabha member Tej Pratap Yadav, which also gives a personal touch to the political alliance.