Thiruvananthapuram, June 8 (IANS) As the INDIA bloc meeting is set to begin in New Delhi, CPI(M) General Secretary M.A. Baby on Monday said he will not attend the meeting, but added that this did not mean that the party is disassociating from the opposition bloc.

This comes as many key allies of the alliance, including DMK, JMM and CPI(M), have either chosen to boycott it or vent ire over the grand old party’s moves.

Speaking to IANS, the CPI(M) General Secretary said, “The INDIA bloc meeting is taking place in Delhi today, and the CPI(M), as you know, has contributed immensely to the formation and coordination of the INDIA bloc arrangement. However, during the Lok Sabha elections and afterwards, during the Assembly elections, top leaders of Congress have been attacking CPI(M) and the Left parties, including the LDF, on a completely concocted basis, alleging that CPI(M) and the LDF have an underhand deal with the BJP.”

“Such preposterous and baseless allegations against our party are unacceptable. Therefore, as the General Secretary of the CPI(M), I wrote a letter to Mallikarjun Kharge, and copies of the letter were also sent to other INDIA bloc members. This does not mean that we are disassociating from the INDIA bloc. Our Rajya Sabha member, John Brittas, will attend the INDIA bloc meeting today,” he said.

He further added that as General Secretary, I am not attending.

“As General Secretary, I am not attending. We should expect Congress, which is the main opposition party today, to coordinate with other opposition parties and take them into confidence. That is not happening from the Congress right now. We wish that they correct this aberration if they want to build a strong opposition against the BJP,” he told IANS.

He further said that we should expect the Congress party to coordinate with all opposition parties and take them into confidence.

“We should expect Congress to coordinate with all opposition parties and take them into confidence. That is not happening at present. We hope they will correct this aberration if they want to build a strong opposition against the BJP,” he added.

Meanwhile, CPI leader D. Raja said, “DMK has made a public statement mentioning that it has certain issues with the Congress party and its conduct, and therefore, it is not going to attend this meeting. They have made it very clear and have issued this statement publicly, not only in Tamil Nadu but across the country, so the DMK’s position is clear. After a long time, the INDIA bloc meeting is taking place, and it is still unclear what the agenda will be, which issues will be raised, and which leaders will be present at the meeting. Only when the meeting begins will we come to know which parties and leaders are attending and what issues are going to be discussed.”

–IANS

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