J’khand CM attends Oppn meet; calls for cornering BJP on people’s issues

The Opposition needs to focus more on issues such as inflation, unemployment and farmers’ issues HEMANT SOREN,

J’khand chief minister

RANCHI: Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) working president and chief minister Hemant Soren on Friday participated in the virtual meeting chaired by Congress president Sonia Gandhi, wherein he called for a cohesive opposition of the BJP and corner the central government on issues concerned with the masses.

Sources in the chief minister’s office said the JMM leader underlined that the Opposition needs to “resist anti-people policies of the central government in a cohesive manner.”

Speaking at the meeting, Soren said the Opposition needs to raise the pitch for declaring the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic as a national disaster.

“We should join hands and push for the demand. The Centre needs to provide adequate compensation to families who lost their loved ones. People were forced to sell their property and jewellery for treatment and they are now facing uncertainties about their future.”

The JMM leader underlined that there are enough national and international issues on which the Opposition could corner the BJP. He, however, advised to choose issues with which people connect.

“We need to take up burning issues which connect with people. Common people like farmers and labourers hardly connect with issues like Pegasus. The Opposition needs to focus more on issues such as inflation, unemployment and farmers’ issues,” he said.

Soren said that the Opposition should also take up issues such as the Parliament fiasco, alleged silencing of democracy and caging of the institutions.

The JMM leader also pointed out that the issues of the states are not being addressed. “As part of a collective framework, the Opposition, including all non-NDA ruled states, should immediately take up these issues especially those being faced by non-BJP run states,” he said.