The growing bonhomie between the opposition parties was apparent when Bahujan Samajwadi Party (BSP) chief Mayawati criticised the Modi government for allegedly treating Bihar and West Bengal differently in the matter of all law and order, drawing gratitude from TMC chief Mamata Banerjee.
Banerjee thanked BSP president for charging the Centre with adopting a double standard in dealing with NDA-ruled Bihar and TMC-governed West Bengal and said the UP leader had "exposed" the Narendra Modi dispensation.
Banerjee, who is the Trinamool Congress chief, also said that the BJP government was "scared" because all the opposition parties were "working together".
"Thank you Mayawati Ji for your comments about Bengal. You have exposed the BJP govt. BJP govt is scared as we are all working together," tweeted Banerjee, who is currently in Delhi to explore a 'federal front' option to take on the BJP in the next Lok Sabha polls.
"The BJP government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi is adopting double standards while dealing with Bihar and West Bengal governments as the former is led by their own coalition and the latter by TMC's Mamata Banerjee," Mayawati said in a statement released in Lucknow on Wednesday.
"Though the West Bengal government is being targeted for asking police to act sternly against those instigating riots by taking out a yatra, in a similar case in Bihar, the government there is out to save the son of a union minister," the BSP chief said.
She was apparently referring to Arjit Shashwat, son of Union minister of state Ashwini Kumar Choubey who was recently booked for allegedly inciting communal passion by taking out an unauthourised procession in Bhagalpur town in Bihar.
In her statement, Mayawati asked, "Why this double standard on the part of the central government on the issue of law and order and amity?"
She also recalled that communal riots had taken place in Kasganj area of Uttar Pradesh when a 'tiranga yatra' was taken out allegedly "without permission".
Banerjee is on a mission to create a united opposition front to defeat BJP in the upcoming state and Centre polls.
Banerjee had on Tuesday held meetings with NCP chief Sharad Pawar and leaders of some regional parties as well as NDA ally Shiv Sena mooting a "one-to-one" fight in all the states.
On Wednesday, she met held a two-hour long meeting with UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and later met disgruntled BJP leaders Yashwant Sinha and Shatrughan Sinha in New Delhi.
(With inputs from PTI)
