Hubballi, July 16: Ahead of the meeting of opposition parties in Bengaluru, senior BJP leader Basavaraj Bommai on Sunday said such gatherings have no political meaning, and many such meetings may take place in the days ahead, but will not have any impact.

The former Chief Minister said opposition parties don't have any specific programme to unite, other than to defeat Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP.

Leaders of 24 non-BJP parties have been invited for the meeting of opposition grouping being convened by Congress, on June 17 and 18, aimed at taking on the saffron party in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

"There is no strong opposition party at the all India level, there are more regional parties, so formation of a federation of opposition parties and them holding meetings has no political meaning, nor will it result in any political profit (to them)," Bommai said.

Speaking to reporters here, he said with the only intention of defeating Modi and BJP they are uniting, which shows that they don't have their own strength.

"They don't have any specific programme to unite, their only intention is to defeat Modi," he added.

Further noting that the country today has progressed economically and socially, Bommai said, post COVID-19 the country has made a swift economic recovery.

"The developments that have taken place in the country after controlling the COVID has got international recognition to Modi. People are well aware that the country's security, progress, economic development, education and social growth is only possible by Modi," he said, adding that many such opposition meetings may take place in the days ahead, but it will not have any impact.

This meeting convened by the Congress, is the second such unity meeting of opposition parties, the first edition in Bihar's Patna on June 23, saw the participation of 15 parties.

Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi is also expected to attend a dinner meeting on July 17 where leaders of these parties will be present.

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Panaji (PTI): As part of a crackdown against tourist establishments violating laws and safety norms in the aftermath of the Arpora fire tragedy, Goa authorities on Saturday sealed a renowned club at Vagator and revoked the fire department NOC of another club.

Cafe CO2 Goa, located on a cliff overlooking the Arabian Sea at Vagator beach in North Goa, was sealed. The move came two days after Goya Club, also in Vagator, was shut down for alleged violations of rules.

Elsewhere, campaigning for local body polls, AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal said the fire incident at Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub at Arpora, which claimed 25 lives on December 6, happened because the BJP government in the state was corrupt.

An inspection of Cafe CO2 Goa by a state government-appointed team revealed that the establishment, with a seating capacity of 250, did not possess a no-objection certificate (NOC) of the Fire and Emergency Services Department. The club, which sits atop Ozrant Cliff, also did not have structural stability, the team found.

The Fire and Emergency Services on Saturday also revoked the NOC issued to Diaz Pool Club and Bar at Anjuna as the fire extinguishers installed in the establishment were found to be inadequate, said divisional fire officer Shripad Gawas.

A notice was issued to Nitin Wadhwa, the partner of the club, he said in the order.

Campaigning at Chimbel village near Panaji in support of his party's Zilla Panchayat election candidate, Aam Aadmi Party leader Kejriwal said the nightclub fire at Arpora happened because of the "corruption of the Pramod Sawant-led state government."

"Why this fire incident happened? I read in the newspapers that the nightclub had no occupancy certificate, no building licence, no excise licence, no construction licence or trade licence. The entire club was illegal but still it was going on," he said.

"How could it go on? Couldn't Pramod Sawant or anyone else see it? I was told that hafta (bribe) was being paid," the former Delhi chief minister said.

A person can not work without bribing officials in the coastal state, Kejriwal said, alleging that officers, MLAs and even ministers are accepting bribes.