Weeks of hectic planning by women’s and human rights groups bore fruit on Monday evening when the entire Opposition agreed to oppose the Maharashtra government’s resolution on inter-faith marriages. The meeting called by these groups under the banner of Salokha Samiti at the Y B Chavan auditorium, ended with the senior most Opposition leader and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) founder, Sharad Pawar, committing to be part of the ‘working group’ to be set up to take this campaign forward. NCP Rajya Sabha MP Fauzia Khan will also be part of the group, said Pawar.

While Pawar sat in the audience, daughter and Lok Sabha MP, Supriya Sule, was on stage to address the packed hall along with MLAs Bhai Jagtap from the Congress, Manisha Kayande from the Shiv Sena (UBT), and Rais Shaikh from the Samajwadi Party. AIMIM MP Imtiaz Jaleel sent a message of support. The CPI(M)’s Dr Uday Narkar, the CPI’s Milind Ranade and Siddarth Mokle from the Vanchit Bhaujan Aghadi also spoke. Bharati Sharma of the Maharashtra Mahila Parishad conducted the proceedings.