NEW DELHI: There is confusion over the leader who proposed the name INDIA, which stands for Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance, at the meeting of 26 opposition leaders in Bengaluru on Tuesday.
While Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate claimed that the idea came from her party leader Rahul Gandhi, Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) party chief Thol Thirumavalavan credited Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee for proposing the name first.
On the opposition naming its alliance as 'INDIA', Shrinate, in a video clip tweeted by news agency PTI, said, "It is a collective effort. I don't think we are taking any credits for this but yes, the idea came from Rahul Gandhi, like he defended the idea, like he argued for this, what is the fight about, what is this fight between."
However, Thirumavalavan, who was a part of the 26-party opposition meet, told news agency ANI that Mamata gave the idea of the name INDIA. "Mamata Banerjee proposed this name. After Kharge ji, she said that we have to name our alliance as I-N-D-I-A... Mamata Banerjee proposed, everyone accepted."
Thirumavalavan, who is also Lok Sabha MP from Chidambaram in Tamil Nadu, further said Mamata first proposed the name Indian National Democratic Inclusive Alliance. After a long discussion, it was called Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance.
After the meeting, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge made the announcement that the group will be called INDIA.
However, before the announcement was made, TMC MP Derek O’Brien had already tweeted INDIA. His tweet said, “Chak De! INDIA.” Later he also said, “We were not just looking for a name. We were looking for a BIG IDEA. We believe with INDIA we have that. INDIA vs NDA.”
Meanwhile, the BJP took a swipe over the confusion over naming the opposition group. In a tweet, BJP IT Cell head Amit Malviya said, “Opposition camp is a circus. Every party is planting news with the media on how their leader had a role in the new name. RJD upstaged the formal announcement and tweeted, to find later that the name had been changed. There is also a rush to take credit for who bought AAP and Congress together, Nitish or Mamata? If this is the extent of credit seeking, imagine the rent seeking, if they ever came to power. This alliance is a joke!”
