Lucknow: It was a fantastic political premiere in Meerut Sunday as a majority of the erstwhile Janata Parivar’s splinter groups came together on one platform. While it was ostensibly to demand a memorial for former PM Charan Singh, the real purpose was to unite the secular forces. The message was clear: a Janata Parivar was needed to counter the Sangh Parivar.
Former Bihar CM and JD(U) leader Nitish Kumar was quite direct, saying: “This is the time for all socialist followers of Chaudhary Charan Singh and Ram Manohar Lohia to come together and fight communal forces.”
Addressing senior SP minister Shivpal Singh Yadav, Mr Nitish Kumar said: “Lalu Prasad Yadav and I were fighting for several years, but when danger confronted us, we didn’t waste a minute and joined hands. You and Mulayam Singh Yadavji must also think on these lines. If we all unite, the country will get a new direction. You must realise when you begin to slip on a slope, you need support, or else you will fall.” Former PM H.D. Deve Gowda said an effort to bring together secular forces was also made during the Lok Sabha polls but it did not succeed.
