“The BJP during Atal ji’s time believed in consensus but today’s government believes in crushing and conquering,” Mr Sinha said.
Former Union Finance Minister under Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Yashwant Sinha today joined the Trinamool Congress weeks ahead of the West Bengal Assembly election. The 83-year-old bureaucrat-turned-politician had quit the BJP in 2018. His entry into Mamata Banerjee’s TMC has been seen as a great catch for the West Bengal party that has seen a steady outflow of both leaders and cadres in the past few months.
At the Trinamool Bhawan in Kolkata in the presence of Derek O Brien, Sudip Bandopadhyay and Subrata Mukherjee, Mr Sinha joined the Trinamool Congress (TMC). The senior leader had met Ms Banerjee at her residence before joining the party.
After joining the party Mr Sinha said: “The country is facing an unprecedented situation today. The strength of democracy lies in the strength of the institutions of democracy. All these institutions, including the judiciary, have become weak now.”
Raising several issues today at the press meet, including the ongoing farmers’ agitation and the border situation with China, Mr Sinha sought to draw a comparison between the Narendra Modi government and that of his former boss, PM Vajpayee.
“There is no one to stop the government’s wrongdoing. The BJP during Atal ji‘s time believed in consensus but today’s government believes in crushing and conquering. The Akalis, the BJD have left the BJP. Today, who is standing with BJP?” he asked.
“Atal-ji built a national alliance. He did not want to weaken allies and take their space. This is a serious fight across the country. It’s not just a political fight. It’s a fight to save democracy.”
Speaking of his decision to join the TMC, he said: “The tipping point was the attack on Mamata-ji in Nandigram. It was the moment of decision to join TMC and support Mamata-ji.”
The veteran politician also raised serious questions over the independence of institutions. “The strength of democracy lies in the strength of the institutions of democracy. All these institutions including the judiciary have become weak now,” Mr Sinha said.
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