"Special session of Parliament was not called when Manipur was burning...": Congress President Kharge

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], September 1 (ANI): A day after the Narendra Modi government has called for a "special session of Parliament" to be held from September 18 to 22, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on Friday attacked the central government for the move and said the special session of Parliament was not called when Manipur was burning adding that the country is  "going towards dictatorship".
"Today, without asking anyone in the opposition, a special session of Parliament has been called. A special session of Parliament was never called even when Manipur was burning, during the COVID-19 pandemic, on the issue of China or over issues of demonetisation and migrant labourers," Kharge said while addressing a press conference after the INDIA alliance meeting.
"I don't what is the agenda now. This is not the way to run the country. We are slowly going towards dictatorship," he added. 
Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi on Thursday informed that a five-day special session of Parliament from September 18 to 22. The agenda for this special session, however, was not revealed.
Congress President further stated that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will never work for the poor and that the aim of the INDIA bloc is to fight against unemployment, rising fuel prices and other public welfare issues. 
"All parties conducted this meeting well. A structure was formed for the alliance during talks at my residence earlier, in the Patna meeting an agenda was set and now in Mumbai, everyone has kept their views before each other. Everyone has one aim - how to fight unemployment and rising fuel prices and LPG cylinder costs?" he said. 
"They (BJP) first increased the prices and reduced the price marginally...I can say that Modi ji will never work for the poor. Yesterday, Rahul Gandhi showed a report on how Adani's income has increased," he added. 
After the meeting of the Opposition INDIA alliance, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut on Friday said that a resolution has been passed and four main committees have been formed. 
"We have passed some important resolutions too. INDIA Alliance Coordination Committee - a 14-member committee - has been structured," Raut said. 
The 14-member Coordination Committee and Election Strategy Committee includes KC Venugopal (INC), Sharad Pawar (NCP), TR Baalu (DMK), Hemant Soren (JMM), Sanjay Raut (SS-UBT), Tejashwi Yadav (RJD), Abhishek Banerjee (TMC), Raghav Chadha (AAP), Javed Ali Khan (SP), Lalan Singh (JDU), D Raja (CPI), Omar Abdullah (NC), Mehbooba Mufti (PDP), one more member from CPI(M) to also be announced.
Earlier, the constituent parties in the Opposition INDIA alliance on Friday decided to contest the 2024 Lok Sabha election together "as far as possible", said the alliance's resolution taken during its third strategic meeting being held in Mumbai.
The resolution also said that the parties will "organize public rallies at the earliest in different parts of the country on issues of public concern and importance".
The third formal meeting of the opposition bloc INDIA alliance began on Friday with the aim of coming up with an action plan for the next Lok Sabha Polls.
The first meeting of the joint opposition was held in Patna on June 23 and the second meeting was held in Bengaluru on July 17-18. (ANI)