Opposition leaders to converge on common platform to attend seminar by Stalin on social justice

As they re-group following the disqualification of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, Opposition leaders will converge on a common platform on Monday (April 3) when they attend a seminar on social justice organised by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK President M K Stalin in Chennai.

While invitations have also gone to parties like the BJD and YSR Congress, leaders who cannot fly to Chennai to attend the seminar will join online from Maharashtra Sadan in the national capital and elsewhere, as the Opposition wants to project a united face.

The seminar ‘Social Justice: The Road Ahead’ is being organised by All India Social Justice Forum set up by Stalin in 2022 and is expected to see the attendance of leaders from around 20 parties. Organisers said they have not kept alliance affiliation in mind when invites were sent. However, a senior Opposition leader said the meeting would have an impact and a message to “fence sitters”.

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Stalin had in February 2022 written to 37 political parties, including Congress and arch-rival AIADMK, to join the All India Federation for Social Justice launched by him to protect the “interests of the oppressed”, observing that India’s unique, diverse, multicultural federation is under threat from “bigotry and religious hegemony.”

The forum’s goal is to bring to a common platform all leaders, members of civil society and like-minded individuals and organisations to “strive towards achieving the principles of federalism and social justice at national level.”

Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren, top Left leaders Sitaram Yechury and D Raja, Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav, Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav, AAP’s Sanjay Singh and Trinamool Congress’ Derek O’Brien are likely to join the seminar. Congress will also attend the seminar.

“This is a seminar on the issue of social justice. But every time the opposition parties come together, they send a message of unity. It is likely to happen this time as well,” a DMK leader told DH.

Opposition leaders said they were taking “one step at a time” and on April 5, a joint petition by 14 parties or what they call a “legal coalition” against the misuse of central agencies will come up before the Supreme Court for hearing.

The meeting comes at a time when Rahul Gandhi’s disqualification has rallied Opposition parties together. It also comes as the campaign for the Karnataka election gathers momentum.

Parties like AAP, Trinamool Congress and BRS, who have kept a distance from Congress, had vociferously supported Rahul after his conviction and disqualification. “What was there ten days ago has changed. There is coordination and discussions,” a senior leader said.

Another leader said there is a “lot of graciousness” shown in the past week or so by parties and there are efforts for more large common platforms. “It is teamwork,” the leader said.

The platform will help create a roadmap to take forward the battle for social justice in India and identify the areas in which they can do more, and bring about a common minimum programme to be uniformly adopted by all states. (ENDS)