Atalji believed in consensus, Today's government believes in crushing: Yashwant Sinha on joining TMC

KOLKATA: The Trinamool Congress TMC, got a new lease of life as former Union Minister and BJP leader Yashwant Sinha joined the party in Kolkata on Saturday.

This development comes following the Nandigram incident when the West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was allegedly 'attacked'. Citing the incident as a tipping point Sinha decided to join the TMC.

During the Atal Bihari Vajpayee's government, Sinha served as a finance minister and external affairs minister. Reminiscing his days Sinha asserted that, "Atalji believed in cooperation, but today's government believes in crushing and conquering." He further added that the Vajpayee government was known to maintain a coalition government from every corner of the country, whereas under the present government every other party is exiting except a handful.

Earlier in the day he met the TMC supremo before announcing his commitment to the party. Sinha joined the party in the presence of senior leader, Sudip Bandopadhyay, Derek O' Brien and Subrata Mukherjee. This comes when after some of the hard-core leaders and cadres of the TMC have been joining the saffron party, the prominent one being Suvendu Adhikari who will be contesting against Banerjee from Nandigram.

While addressing a press conference at the TMC Bhawan, Sinha raised many other issues including the farmers protest who are sitting in the border, of the migrant workers who were forced to walk back home, health and education sector, and also raised his apprehension over the judiciary. He further stated that the strength of democracy lies within the institutions which has weakened systematically over time. He also expressed his disappointment over the Election Commission of India (ECI).

The octogenarian who pledged to support Banerjee in her fight against the BJP, praised her as a fighter and recalled how she offered to become a hostage when terrorist capture the Indian Airlines plane in 1999 and took it to Kandahar. "She was ready to sacrifice her life in return for the lives of the hostages in the plane." Sinha added.

A staunch critic of Prime Minister Narendra Modi led BJP government, Sinha quit the saffron party in 2018 launching a strong nationwide campaign to save democracy.

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