Sharad Pawar turns down invitation
Mamata Banerjee. (Photo: PTI/File)
New Delhi: After refusing to invite Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress has now called regional leaders, including West Bengal chief miniser Mamata Banerjee and the the former chief miniser Nitish Kumar, for an event on Jawaharlal Nehru next week, a move seen as an attempt to consolidate secular parties.
Congress president Sonia Gandhi had last week formally invited the NCP chief Sharad Pawar for an event but the party now seems to be in two minds after the NCP on Wednesday supported the BJP government in the trust vote in Maharashtra.
On his part, Mr Pawar has already expressed his inability to attend the event owing to NCP’s Maharashtra unit’s two-day convention at Alibag which coincides with the Congress event.
“Sonia Gandhi had written a letter inviting Pawar on November 6 and, on the same day, he wrote back expressing his inability to attend the event,” said NCP general secretary D.P. Tripathi.
The Congress on Tuesday last had made it clear it has not invited the Prime Minister for the event, joining the battle with Mr Modi, who it accuses of trying to appropriate freedom movement leaders.
( Source : dc correspondent )
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