Opposition meeting begins but DMK, SP fail to turn up

The opposition meeting on the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) convened by the Congress here along with some like-minded parties began here on Monday, but the Samajwadi Party and the DMK failed to attend the meet.

While the Trinamool Congress and the Bahujan Samaj Party had already refused to attend the meeting, the Shiv Sena and the AAP said they were not invited.

Al total of 15 parties are attending the meeting.

The meeting is being chaired by interim Congress President Sonia Gandhi and includes former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi, NCP's Sharad Pawar, CPI-M's Sitaram Yechury, Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren, apart from others. The leaders deliberated on formalising a joint strategy against the CAA as protests continued across the country.

Congress's Ahmed Patel was seated beside Hemant Soren and Rahul Gandhi sat next to Sitaram Yechury.

The Rashtriya Lok Samata Party (RLSP) was represented by Upendra Kushwaha while Jitan Ram Manjhi from the Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) attended the meet.

From the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) P. Kunhaily Kitty, All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF)'s chief Sirajuddin Ajmal and CPI's D. Raja were also present.IANS