Opposition to protest against govt on economic slowdown, unemployment, agrarian crisis

Thirteen opposition political parties have decided to organise protests against the government in different parts of India from November 5 to 15. These protests would be held by them separately across the nation. They, however, would attack government unitedly during the upcoming winter session of Parliament.

New Delhi: As many as 13 oppositions political parties met here on Monday and decided to organise protests across India against the government by raising issues of economic slowdown, unemployment, agrarian crisis and Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement agreement.

The opposition parties would hold protests, to be held from November 5 to 15, separately in various parts of the country, whereas they would attack government as a united front during the upcoming winter session of Parliament, it was announced after the meeting.

The meeting, which was attended by various leaders including Congress' Ghulam Nabi Azad, Ahmed Patel, Randeep Singh Surjewala and Rajeev Shukla, JDS' D. Kupendra Reddy, LJD's Sharad Yadav, DMK's TR Balu, Manoj Jha of RJD, Md. Nadimul Haque of TMC, Ajit Singh of RLD, TK Rangarajan of CPI(M), D Raja and Binoy Viswam from CPI, Upendra Kushwaha from RLSP, Kunhalikutti from IUML, Jose K Mani of KCM and Shatrujeet Singh from RSP, had no leaders from Samajwadi Party, Bahujan Samaj Party, Aam Aadmi Party and Nationalist Congress Party.

"The government is not focused on the economy as the GDP is falling, industrial growth has decreased, production has gone to growth minus, non-performing assets have reached Rs 8 lakh crore, and Bank frauds during the BJP government has increased to 25000 times," Azad, who moderated the session, said after the meeting.

"Every month unemployment is increasing, especially for educated people. Statistics say that there is a double unemployment rate in our country as compared to the average unemployment rate in the whole world. Those who have the responsibility of India coming on their shoulders are depressed today," he added.

Azad also took a dig at the government over GST and RCEP by saying that it is like a "compounder operating the patient when the doctor got transferred".

The statement came in reference to the fact that both GST scheme, as well as RCEP agreement, was introduced during the UPA era.

"Both were coined by the Congress and were in progress but the Modi government implemented it badly in haste."