Millennium Post

Democracy has become ‘Namocracy’: Mamata

- SIMONTINI BHATTACHAR­JEE

NEW DELHI: Democracy has become ‘Namocracy’, and the situation in the country is worse than the emergency, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said Wednesday and asserted opposition parties would fight unitedly at the national level to oust the NDA from power.

Addressing a mega rally organised by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) at the Jantar Mantar here, the Trinamool Congress chief also attacked the Centre over the CBI’S failed bid to question Kolkata police commission­er Rajeev Kumar at his home, saying she had not seen a government that “stooped so low”.

“It is Prime Minister’s last day as an elected leader in Parliament today,” she said after the Lok Sabha adjourned sine die.

“Everyone is afraid of Gabbar Singh. There are two of them - (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi and (BJP chief Amit) Shah,” she said.

A host of opposition leaders including TDP chief N Chandrabab­u Naidu, National Conference’s Farooq Abdullah, Nationalis­t Congress Party’s Sharad Pawar and CPI(M)’S Sitaram Yechury spoke during the rally.

“Opposition parties will fight unitedly at the national level,” Banerjee asserted.

Earlier on Wednesday, Banerjee prayed in front of Mahatma Gandhi’s statue in Parliament.

On the last day of 16th Lok Sabha, Trinamool Congress chief said, “Every political party has its own ideology. We believe in patriotism. I have come to Parliament to pray in front of Mahatma Gandhi statue. We prayed to remove BJP and Narendra Modi and save the country and its unity.”

Banerjee, who is in Delhi till Thursday, met RJD’S Misa Bharti, Bahujan Samaj Party’s (BSP) Satish Mishra, SP’S Jaya Bachchan and Dimple Yadav in her room in Parliament on Wednesday morning.

The TMC supremo appealed to all opposition parties to play to their strengths and not cut into each others’ votes. She also asked them to ensure that they get all the seats in the states they are strong in.

 ?? PIC/MPOST ?? West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Loktantrik Janata Dal (LJD) Chief Sharad Yadav, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Samajwadi Party General Secretary Ram Gopal Yadav and other Opposition leaders during a protest at Jantar Mantar, in New Delhi
PIC/MPOST West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Loktantrik Janata Dal (LJD) Chief Sharad Yadav, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Samajwadi Party General Secretary Ram Gopal Yadav and other Opposition leaders during a protest at Jantar Mantar, in New Delhi

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