New Delhi, June 5 (IANS) With DMK’s announcement to not attend the INDIA bloc’s meeting on June 8, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders on Friday criticised the Opposition, saying that the alliance is “already finished” and that its allies have “lost faith” on the Congress.

The DMK made the announcement citing resentment within the party over what it described as the Congress “betrayal” following the recent Tamil Nadu Assembly elections.

The DMK said it had been invited to attend the meeting of the INDIA bloc allies but had decided to stay away in deference to the sentiments of its cadre, who remain deeply hurt by developments involving the Congress after the recent Tamil Nadu Assembly polls.

Talking to IANS, BJP leader Syed Shahnawaz Hussain said: “The INDIA bloc has already ended. When it was formed, Nitish Kumar left. After that, Mamata Banerjee contested separately, the Communist Party members contested separately, and Arvind Kejriwal had also contested separately.”

“This (INDIA bloc) is an alliance just for the sake of saying so; they only come together out of jealousy towards the BJP and later end up fighting among themselves. Now the situation is such that DMK is unwilling to side by the Congress,” he added.

Hussain remarked: “The alliance partners themselves do not trust the Congress.”

BJP MP Manan Kumar Mishra said: “DMK realised it a little late—what Rahul Gandhi is and what Congress is.”

He accused the Congress of having “double standards” because of which the party “has been almost wiped out from the entire country and has become irrelevant”.

“The DMK has taken a correct decision, the INDIA bloc won’t survive,” he added.

Echoing similar views, BJP leader Prakash Reddy said: “Now the existence of INDIA bloc is doubtful.”

Moreover, he blamed the Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition (LoP) Rahul Gandhi’s “inefficiency and immature political strategies” for the situation of the Opposition alliance.

Meanwhile, Shiv Sena-UBT leader Sanjay Raut emphasised that the INDIA bloc is “still intact”.

He, however, said: “DMK should have been patient. According to what the situation was in Tamil Nadu, Congress did not have any other option (other than siding with TVK).”

Congress MP Pramod Tiwari said that DMK’s primary objection from the very first day has been that on the issue of delimitation.

“They (DMK) have been against the proposals of the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government. As far as the question of who will come and who will not come is concerned, I don’t think there is any need for speculation,” he told IANS.

MDMK Principal Secretary Durai Vaiko asserted that his party is still part of the INDIA bloc.

“It’s DMK’s stand that they don’t want to be a part of the INDIA bloc, in fact, because of their differences of opinion with the Congress. I don’t want to comment on the DMK’s stand,” he said.

Jammu and Kashmir National Conference (JKNC) President Farooq Abdullah also confirmed the party’s representation at the INDIA bloc meeting to be held on June 8.

–IANS

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