BJP Claims Cracks In Opposition Unity Amid AAP vs Congress

BJP leaders on Friday claimed cracks have already appeared in opposition ranks even before they could come together as AAP announced it may not attend future meets after failing to garner support from Congress on the Delhi ordinance.

The AAP skipped the press briefing after the opposition meeting in Patna and came out with a statement condemning the Congress' "silence" over the Delhi ordinance on administrative services.

Party founder Arvind Kejriwal, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and Rajya Sabha members Sanjay Singh and Raghav Chaddha were conspicuous by their absence at the press conference.

Union minister Smriti Irani held two press briefings - one before the meeting and the other after it ended - and launched a scathing attack on the opposition leaders calling them a "pack of wolves".

She said the AAP's blackmailing at the beginning itself shows the future of the "unholy alliance".

"Political parties which did not see eye to eye, are coming together. It is ironic that Trinamool Congress Party members today witnessed bonhomie between Mamata Bandyopadhyay and that Communist Party, the leadership of which was particularly known for dragging Mamata by her hair, especially when she tried to speak for the people of Bengal," she said referring to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

Union minister RK Singh also said AAP's stepping away from the meet has exposed that the opposition is not united.

"It is clear that no decisions were taken in today's Opposition meeting, so they called another meeting. The opposition is not united, Kejriwal left without attending the joint press conference, he is stuck on the ordinance," he said.

"There is no opposition unity, all these parties are restricted to one state or a corner of a state," he said.

Another Union minister Arjun Ram Meghwal also questioned the opposition's unity.

"AAP is insisting that Congress should make its stand on the Delhi Ordinance clear, but the Congress is not clarifying its stand... Recently, (Telangana CM) KC Rao also attended a press conference with Nitish Kumar in Patna, where Nitish walked out. Even today, many skipped the meeting. I don't think there is any unity in opposition," he said.

Claiming the Congress "refused" to publicly denounce the ordinance, the AAP said it will be difficult for it to attend future meetings of opposition parties where the Congress is a participant.

AAP also issued a statement and said the Congress' silence raises suspicion about its real intentions.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)