Fissures appeared in the opposition unity today as some parties backed out at the last minute of a Congress-led delegation to the President to raise the problems being faced by people post demonetisation and the issue of the government "stifling" their voice in Parliament.
Leaders of some opposition parties met President Pranab Mukherjee and complained that the government did not allow Parliament to function and stopped them from highlighting the problems of common people due to demonetisation.
While leaders of Trinamool Congress, RJD, JD(U) and AIUDF and some other parties joined the Congress-led delegation, NCP, DMK, Left parties, Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party stayed away.
The fissures cropped up at the last minute after a Congress delegation met the Prime Minister separately in Parliament House on farmers' issues and demanded a loan waiver for farmers.
Sources said NCP's Majid Memon was to be a part of the delegation to the President but the party's leadership decided at the last moment to opt out and he was called back.
The delegation, led by Congress President Sonia Gandhi, party Vice President Rahul Gandhi and former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, with a host of leaders from various opposition parties being part of it, later handed over a memorandum to the President.
"We are extremely pained by this trampling of our democratic rights and the suppression of our right to present our views and make our voices heard in Parliament. We are deeply concerned that our parliamentary democratic system itself is under severe threat.
"The demonetisation decision has brought about a disastrous situation in the nation. We beseech you, as the protector of the Constitution, to kindly intervene to save the people from economic disaster," the memorandum said.
After meeting the President, Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge said, "We wanted debate in Parliament but government flouted all democratic values and blocked it."
Speaking on the manner in which the winter session of Parliament functioned, he said, "The government completely failed in running the proceedings in Parliament. Ministers holding placards did not allow Parliament to function."
"The government is fully responsible for not allowing Parliament to function. They have thrown all rules to the winds," he said.
Trinamool Congress leader Sudip Bandyopadhyay said the purpose of meeting the President was to apprise him that representatives of people are not being able to reflect their observations after demonetisation.
"It was a hasty decision. It was an unprepared decision and this decision caused tremendous difficulties to the common man and poorer of the poor, which we have told the President. The government has miserably failed to give proper direction on what is the way out of this situation after demonetisation. They avoided Parliament and chose to speak outside Parliament," he said.
Sharad Yadav of JD(U) said no effort was made by the government to allow problems of the people to be discussed in Parliament.
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Later at the AICC briefing, party spokesperson Kapil Sibal when asked about fissures in opposition unity said on the issue of demonetisation, Congress Party is fully united with everybody in the Opposition.
"We are all together in this. As far as other issues are concerned, Rahul Gandhi, when went to Uttar Pradesh, waiver of farm loan was the agenda of the whole 'Abhiyan'. As far as unity in the Opposition is concerned on demonetisation, it remains and will continue," he said.
"We are going to voice our concerns together. We are all together. There is no issue on that," he said, adding that there is no question of any party backing out on demonetisation or on problems faced by common man.
