Yashwant Sinha joins TMC; says democracy under BJP is in danger

New Delhi: 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.

He said the condition of the country is visible to all. “Farmers are agitated. Labourers had to migrate in distress and continue to suffer. Institutions, including the judiciary, have been weakened. And the government is unfazed,” said Sinha, whose son Jayant Sinha was MoS Finance under the Modi-led BJP government’s first term.

Sinha said the ruling party’s sole agenda is electoral victory, no matter what the level.

He also explained why he quit the BJP-led NDA after serving as minister in the Atal Behari Vajpayee government from 1998 to 2004.

“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.

The TMC leaders hailed Sinha’s entry as a shot in the arm of Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee who has been recently hit by the exit of party heavyweights including Suvendu Adhikari.