SP, INLD for third front, JD(U) mum

Parveen Arora

Tribune News Service

Karnal, September 25

The Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) and the Samajwadi Party (SP) today batted for the revival of the third front during the Sadbhavna Samman Divas rally here. The rally was organised by the INLD to mark the 103rd birth anniversary of former Deputy Prime Minister Devi Lal and 125th birth anniversary of Babasaheb Bimrao Ambedkar.

In the presence of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, leaders of the INLD and the SP urged various political parties to unite for the formation of the third front against the BJP and the Congress, but the JD(U) remained silent on the issue. However, JD(U) general secretary and Rajya Sabha member KC Tyagi emphasised to follow the principles of Ram Manohar Lohia and Devi Lal.

Uttar Pradesh Samajwadi Party president Shivpal Yadav and Leader of Opposition in Haryana Assembly Abhay Singh Chautala urged parties to reunite for the third front. Former Parliamentarian Santosh Bharti referred the presence of Nitish Kumar and Shivpal Yadav as a good attempt of the INLD to bring the two powers on one platform.

While paying tributes to Devi Lal, Shivpal Yadav urged parties to unite to root out the communal powers from the country.

Abhay said that now the time had come to unite. “People have been opposing the Union and the state governments. The political parties should keep aside their differences and come forward for the formation of the front,” he said.

The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), a close associate of the INLD, gave a miss to the rally. INLD leaders claimed that due to elections in Punjab, SAD leaders could not attend the rally. Former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir Farooq Abdullah also did not attend the rally.