The opposition INDIA bloc allies met here on Monday after a gap of two years even as a section of the leadership cornered Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for the “rough treatment” he meted out to the DMK in Tamil Nadu, besides flagging his party’s “high-handedness”.Sources privy to conversations in the crucial meeting said Rahul took the attacks in his stride and said, “I accept all the criticism with a smile.”Acknowledging the backlash that mainly came from leaders of the Left (John Brittas), RJD (Tejashwi Yadav) and SP (Akhilesh Yadav), Rahul urged the group to stay united, come what may and “hit the streets more often”. He said the Opposition must collectively raise issues of the people, without ifs and buts. Sources said the Left, SP and RJD leaders also raised the lack of decisive and inclusive leadership on part of the Congress and said this approach was straining the alliance and raising questions about its cohesion and future viability.A major flashpoint at the meeting was the exit of the DMK from the alliance. The Tribune has learnt that CPM MP John Brittas called the Congress’ decision to align with Vijay’s TVK-led setup rather than continuing its long-standing partnership with the DMK as “betrayal”.Brittas was deputed by the CPM to attend today’s meeting, which party general secretary MA Baby skipped. Several allies saw the Congress’ treatment of DMK chief MK Stalin as similar to that of Nitish Kumar of the JD(U), who had similarly exited the bloc ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.Sources said some leaders argued that repeated instances of “unilateral decisions” by the Congress were eroding the trust among regional allies and weakening the broader Opposition front.Rahul accepted the brickbats and batted for unity and strength of the Opposition in the face of the BJP onslaught, leaders who attended the meeting said. “The Congress has a lot of resistance, but the need of the hour is a combined strength against the BJP’s dubious plans to steal electoral mandates. We need to meet more often and hit the streets,” Rahul was quoted as saying.The embattled TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee was particularly aggressive at the meeting and called for gherao of the Election Commission for what she described as the “wrongs done to her party”.Shiv Sena leader Uddhav Thackeray, who joined the meeting virtually, urged the parties to bring in “meaningful change in 2029”.Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi did not speak at the meeting. She only listened, said sources.Brittas also said that the BJP’s recent electoral gains and the crisis confronting several opposition parties such as the TMC have created an opportunity for the saffron brigade to further consolidate its political advantage in the coming Parliament session.He is learnt to have said that the INDIA bloc would have to seriously introspect, strengthen coordination and evolve a more cohesive strategy to counter the BJP offensive. The meeting, which lamented the lack of coordination, decided that the opposition leaders, will meet once in two months, with the next meeting planned in Hyderabad in August.