Kejriwal urges Rahul to let go of differences, move forward together in Opposition meet

Sources said the AAP chief directly requested Rahul, Kharge to give time to him to discuss the Delhi ordinance.

At the Opposition meeting in Patna on Friday, AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal once again extended an olive branch to Rahul Gandhi seeking his party's support on the Delhi ordinance, but sources say, Congress backed by other regional outfits assured Delhi CM that those in attendance were on the same page, though some parties would make their stand public on the issue closer to the session.

Sources said the AAP chief made a direct request to Rahul and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge to give time to him to discuss the contentious Delhi ordinance. However, they alleged, Congress leaders were not receptive to the demand for publicly airing their views on the ordinance that cripples the Delhi government on the issue of control over bureaucrats.

The issue was raised during the Opposition meeting in Patna on Friday and it had led to a war of words between Kharge and Kejriwal.

AAP sources claimed other parties were in support of AAP's demand and insisted that the Congress should make its views public.

Also Read | Opposition meet: Ordinance issue a fissure between AAP and Congress

However, this was contested by at least three leaders who were present in the meeting. They said while all parties, including Congress, were on same page on the issue of opposing the ordinance when it comes to Rajya Sabha for clearance, parties generally went with Congress' stand that it would publicise its stand closer to Parliament Session after going through their mechanism of decision making.

Other parties were also a bit upset about Kejriwal trying to "hijack" the meeting and trying to make it a single agenda meeting, sources said.

At the meeting on Friday, RJD patriarch Lalu Prasad, who was out of action for some time due to health issues, put his agenda on table, saying bigger parties will be allowed to have the leadership role in states and requested Congress to be "large hearted". Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav echoed him when he said, "bada manch keliye, bada dil bhi hona chahiye" (to create a big platform, you need a big heart.)

In an apparent reference to NCP chief Sharad Pawar's comments about Shiv Sena (UBT)'s Uddhav Thackeray being on the other side earlier, Rahul said, "I have come here without any past likes or dislikes. Whatever it takes, we have to be together. India is facing a financial, institutional and communication monopoly and we need to fight it."

DMK supremo and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin said every state will have a different pattern of understanding between the parties and it would be different for states