Anurag Thakur on Opposition unity, says alliance of corrupt will collapse like pack of cards

Firing a fresh salvo over the unity bid by opposition parties, Union Minister Anurag Thakur said on Saturday they should tell the country who will be their leader and claimed that their thagbandhan (an alliance of the corrupt) will collapse like a pack of cards.

Addressing a rally in Haryana's Panipat, Thakur said several leaders of 15 opposition parties held a meeting in Patna on Friday.  Though they came together, their hearts did not meet, the Minister for Information and Broadcasting said and claimed that Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who had hosted the meeting, was not accepted as convener by the parties.

Yesterday's meeting was nothing more than a joke. Ahead of the 2024 polls, this natak mandli (drama company) has come together and rang manch (stage) is being decorated and characters are being decided. A drama will play out. Everybody will speak of support. People will laugh at them as they did the last time and will make these corrupt people sit at home, said Thakur.

This opposition unity will also collapse like a pack of cards, he said. He said the people have to decide whether to choose this mandli (team) of corrupt people who are forging a thagbandhan or an honest leader who served the country. He said that the Modi government provided a corruption-free regime.

Thakur asked the leaders of opposition parties to clear their stand on Article 370. Will they bring Article 370 again? Will they end the GST? Can they give an honest government? he asked.