Top Opposition leaders meet at Sonia Gandhi's residence to discuss protest strategy

New Delhi, Dec 14: Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Tuesday met opposition leaders and held discussion to devise a way forward on the revocation of suspension of 12 MPs of Rajya Sabha.

NCP supremo Sharad Pawar, J&K National Conference patron Farooq Abdullah, Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut and DMK leader T R Baalu were among the leaders who met Gandhi at her 10, Janpath residence.

Opposition parties have been protesting the suspension of 12 Rajya Sabha MPs and are holding protests, seeking the revocation of their suspensions.

Former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi and leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge were also part of Tuesday's meeting. According to sources, Sonia Gandhi had invited Uddhav Thackeray and DMK chief MK Stalin. Both deputed their leaders Raut and Baalu respectively.

"Our main agenda was Opposition unity in a state-wise manner. This was the first meeting, we'll meet again tomorrow, Sharad Pawar will be there," said Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut, after meeting Congress chief Sonia Gandhi in Delhi.

"It was a meeting about the country. We talked about how we can work together and move forward and how we can take out the country from this difficulty. A good agreement has been formed among us," said Farooq Abdullah.

Earlier in the day, opposition MPs in both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha held a protest march from the Gandhi statue in the Parliament complex to Vijay Chowk with Rahul Gandhi alleging that the Opposition is not being allowed to raise issues in Parliament, which is now merely a building and a museum.