New Delhi [India], June 15 (ANI): Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Monday launched a scathing attack on the Union Home Minister Amit Shah, accusing him of masterminding the "illegal breakaway of 20 TMC MPs" and their "wholly questionable fusion with an unheard of political outfit".
In a post on X, Jairam Ramesh said the bizarre move is part of the Union Home Minister's strategy "to engineer a two-thirds majority for the NDA in the Lok Sabha".
He alleged that the Home Minister "has taken Indian democracy to new lows".
"A desperate Union Home Minister - who is an absolute disgrace to the position once held by Sardar Patel - has taken Indian democracy to new lows in a shameless manner. He has masterminded the illegal breakaway of 20 TMC MPs and their wholly questionable fusion with an unheard of and reportedly registered but unrecognised political outfit formed just three years back," Jairam Ramesh said in a post on X.
With rebel TMC MPs announcing a merger in the Nationalist Citizens Party of India, Jairam Ramesh also took potshots at BJP's allies TDP and JD(U), saying that they should be protesting the downgrade through "underhand tactics".
"The 'Nationalist Citizens Party of India' could well end up becoming the second largest in the NDA, ahead of even the long-established and long-experienced TDP and JD(U), who should actually be protesting their downgrade through such underhand tactics and in such a disgusting manner," the Congress leader said.
"This bizarre move is part of the Union Home Minister's strategy to engineer a two-third majority for the NDA in the Lok Sabha. Decency, decorum, and devotion to Constitutional values and principles remain vulnerable and threatened every day he continues in office," he added.
The rebel MPs, who met the Lok Sabha Speaker on Sunday, said they had joined the Nationalist Citizens' Party.
"We have joined the Nationalist Citizens' Party. This is a political party. It is a recognised regional party. We have merged with it... It will be decided in the court which one the real TMC is," TMC rebel MP Sudip Bandyopadhyay said on Sunday.
Rebel MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar had said yesterday that 20 Lok Sabha MPs have merged with the Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI) and will now extend their support to the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA).
NCPI founder and national organising secretary Shantanu Dey stated he was previously unaware of these internal developments but welcomed the move and expressed openness to discussing further plans.
Speaking with ANI, Dey said that the decision about the merger from NCPI was taken by the party president, adding that he remains committed to the party's growth and expressed a willingness to engage with the new members to support Prime Minister Narendra Modi and work with the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance.
"I got to know about this from social media and the news. I welcome them to hold talks with me. Why won't I be happy if my party grows? I have heard that the decision was taken by the party president. He has not called me about this yet. I want to take the party forward. If my party grows, we will be able to work for the country. We support PM Modi and wish to work with the NDA for the nation...If Kakoli Di speaks to us, then we will certainly go (to Delhi). I am hopeful that we will talk. We will hold a press meet soon," he said.
TMC has seen dissension and rebellion among its MLAs and MPs after defeat in the assembly polls. (ANI)
