INDIA Bloc Rally
INDIA Bloc Rally: The opposition has called a rally in the capital to protest against the arrest of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. This is being seen as a show of strength of the INDIA alliance.
Leaders of about 27-28 parties including Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Lalu Yadav, Mamata Banerjee, Farooq Abdullah, MK Stalin, Uddhav Thackeray, Akhilesh Yadav are expected to attend this rally.
The Congress said on Saturday that the purpose of the ‘Save Democracy Rally’ of the opposition alliance ‘Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance’ (India) to be held at Ramlila Maidan here is not to protect any person, but to save the Constitution and democracy.
A strong message will be sent to BJP – Congress
The opposition party Congress said that the rally to be held on Sunday will give a ‘strong message’ to Lok Kalyan Marg (where the Prime Minister’s residence is located) that the ‘time of the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government is over.’
Addressing a press conference regarding the rally, Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh said that party chief Mallikarjun Kharge and other senior leaders including former Congress President Rahul Gandhi will address the rally.
‘This is a Save Democracy Rally’
Ramesh said, “This is not a rally focused on any particular person. That is why it is being called ‘Save Democracy’ rally. This is not a rally of any one party, about 27-28 parties are involved in it. All the components of the ‘India’ alliance will participate in this rally.”
His comment is important in the sense that the leaders of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) are presenting this rally as a protest against the arrest of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal by the Enforcement Directorate.
When asked whether Sonia Gandhi will attend the rally, Ramesh said that Congress President Kharge and former party president Rahul Gandhi will definitely attend it while Sonia Gandhi may participate in it.
Second big rally after Mumbai
Ramesh said that the ‘Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance’ (INDIA) had sounded its bugle for the Lok Sabha elections in Mumbai on March 17 and this will be the second big rally of the opposition alliance after the announcement of the election date.
He said that this will also send a message of solidarity and unity among the alliance. Ramesh said that in the rally, the opposition leaders will raise the issues of rising inflation, the highest unemployment rate in 45 years, economic inequality, social polarization and injustice against farmers. He said that another major issue that will be raised is targeting the opposition through ‘misuse of central agencies’.
Ramesh alleged that two chief ministers and several ministers have been arrested in an attempt to target the opposition parties politically. He said, ‘This reflects the mindset that the Prime Minister wants to weaken the opposition parties politically and economically.’
This rally is to protect the Constitution – Jairam Ramesh
Former Union Minister Ramesh said that the issues of ‘extortion’ through electoral bonds and targeting the Congress with ‘tax terrorism’ will also be raised in the rally. Without giving details, he said, “We received two more notices from the Income Tax Department on Friday.”
Ramesh said that the most important objective of the rally is to protect the Constitution. He claimed that the Constitution is in danger because BJP leaders are saying that they want to rewrite it. He said that if the Constitution is changed, the secularism, socialism and social justice contained in it will be in danger.
The Congress leader said, “The rally is not to protect any one person but to protect the Constitution.” Ramesh said Jharkhand Chief Minister Champai Soren, NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar, Rastriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav, Communist Party of India (Marxist) general secretary Sitaram Yechury, Communist Party of India (CPI) general secretary D Raja, National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah, People’s Democratic Party (PDP) chief Mehbooba Mufti, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK)’s Tiruchi Siva, Trinamool Congress (TMC)’s Derek O’Brien among others will take part in the rally.
Ramesh said the rally will also focus on the “biggest scam of the last 75 years” electoral bond scheme through which the BJP collected Rs 8,200 crore. Congress Delhi unit chief Arvinder Singh Lovely and Congress Delhi in-charge Deepak Babaria said a massive rally will be organized to protest against the threat to democracy.