On her first trip to Delhi after the TMC’s landslide victory in West Bengal, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee visited Prime Minister Narendra Modi at his Lok Kalyan Marg residence on Tuesday.
Following the meeting, CM Banerjee told reporters that Prime Minister Modi should call an all-party conference to examine the Pegasus case and decide on a Supreme Court investigation.
Opposition parties in Parliament have been denouncing the Union Government’s alleged spying using the Israeli spyware Pegasus, resulting in numerous adjournments of both Houses. Opposition lawmakers have sought a Supreme Court-monitored investigation into the accusations after TMC MP Shantanu Sen was punished for ripping up IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw’s denial statement.
CM Banerjee also asked PM Modi to provide her state additional Covid vaccinations based on its population during her meeting with him.
In response to a query on opposition unity against the ruling NDA, she stated that it will emerge naturally. Her statement came after she met with Congress leaders Kamal Nath and Anand Sharma earlier in the day, amid signs of growing opposition unity ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
Meanwhile, Sharad Pawar, the leader of the Nationalist Congress Party, said he expects to see Banerjee on Wednesday. She will also see Congress President Sonia Gandhi at her Janpath house tomorrow, according to the Indian news agency ANI.
The visit coincides with the start of Parliament’s session. Banerjee has stated that she plans to visit Parliament and speak with opposition leaders.
P Chidambaram and Digvijaya Singh of the Congress, Sharad Pawar and Supriya Sule of the NCP, Ram Gopal Yadav of the Samajwadi Party (SP), Manoj Jha of the RJD, Tiruchi Siva of the DMK, and Priyanka Chaturvedi of the Shiv Sena all came to pay their respects at the Trinamool’s annual Martyrs Day celebration
While the talks with the President and Prime Minister were only formalities, a senior Trinamool leader said that Banerjee’s visit this time was organized with a wider Opposition strategy in mind ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha election. “I believe everyone in the opposition recognizes that 2024 is a pivotal election with a significant task. It’s also a sign that seriousness has arrived, and now is the time to fight, fall out, and come together; iron out the chinks, as they say. Banerjee would play a significant role following her overwhelming victory against Narendra Modi, according to a leader.
