Former NDA minister Yashwant Sinha on Saturday joined the Trinamool Congress citing danger to democracy under the ruling BJP at the Centre.
Sinha, 83, had quit the BJP in 2018, and has since been consistent in questioning the government and its policies.
Joining the TMC in Kolkata on the eve of the West Bengal polls, Sinha said, “Democracy is in danger under the BJP. Democracy does not mean merely holding elections at regular intervals but also that the elected are accountable to the people,” said Sinha.
Sinha said the ruling party’s sole agenda is electoral victory, no matter what the level.
“There is a world of difference between the BJP of Atal Behari Vajpayee’s times and today’s. Atalji believed in consensus. Today, the party believes in crushing everyone. Atalji courted people, these people are capturing people. Atal Bihari ji’s coalition had Akali Dal in Punjab, Shiv Sena in Maharashtra, TDP in Andhra Pradesh, AIADMK and DMK at separate times in Tamil Nadu, BJD in Odisha, TMC in Bengal, AGP in Assam, JDU in Bihar. Atal ji formed a truly national coalition. He never believed in crushing parties and occupying the vacuum hence created,” said Sinha.
