In a massive show of strength, leaders of the opposition INDIA bloc gathered at the Ramlila Maidan in Delhi to express solidarity with arrested Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and former Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren.
Addressing the rally, Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra made five demands of the INDIA bloc and urged the Election Commission to ensure a level playing field in the Lok Sabha elections.
“INDIA Alliance has 5 demands. The Election Commission should ensure equal opportunity in the Lok Sabha elections. Second, the ECI should stop the forceful action against the opposition taken by the ED, CBI and IT. Third, Hemant Soren and Arvind Kejriwal should be released immediately. Fourth, attempts to weaken the opposition financially should be stopped. Fifth, an SIT should be formed to investigate the funds raised by the BJP through electoral bonds,” Priyanka Gandhi said.
She further asserted that despite the BJP creating ‘undemocratic obstacles’, the alliance is committed to fighting, winning, and saving the country’s democracy.
Former president Sonia Gandhi, Congress president Mallikharjun Kharge, NCP’s Sharad Yadav, NC leader Farooq Abdullah, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray; Left leaders Sitaram Yechury, D. Raja, Dipankar Bhattacharya; Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav; RJD’s Tejashwi Yadav and TMC’s Derek O’Brien were also present on the stage as the rally turned out to be a show of strength for the opposition bloc.
Uddhav Thackeray, meanwhile, alleged the country has become an “autocracy” under the Modi government, and appealed to the people to throw the BJP out of power. He accused the ruling party of misusing the ED, CBI and Income Tax Department, and said they should declare that these three agencies are their allies.
The rally tried to make most of the public sympathy generated by the rash of arrests of Opposition leaders like Kejriwal of the AAP and former Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren of the JMM, as well as the freezing of the Congress’s bank accounts.
He drew loud cheers, as did Congress MP Rahul Gandhi who said: “Who chose the umpire? Narendra Modi. Even before the election, they have arrested two of our players.”
Rahul added: “Narendra Modiji is trying to fix this election. They have a ‘400-seat’ slogan. Without EVMs, social media, and buying the press, they can’t cross 180 seats. Congress is the biggest Opposition party and in the middle of the elections they have frozen all our accounts.
Priyanka Gandhi too invoked the Ramayana. “When Lord Ram fought for the truth, he did not have power, resources or even a chariot. Ravan had chariots, resources, an army and gold but Lord Ram had truth, hope, belief, love, kindness, modesty, patience, courage and truth,” she said.
