Ramlila All Set For INDIA Alliance’ ‘Save Democracy’ Mega Rally
New Delhi, March 31: Leaders of the oppositions INDIA bloc have assembled at Delhi”s historic Ramlila Maidan for the “Lokentra Bachao” (save democracy) rally on Sunday. People in huge numbers has gathered. The rally is seen as a show of strength and unity by INDIA bloc members ahead of the Lok Sabha polls.
The Congress on Saturday made it categorically clear that Sunday’s mega rally being organized by the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) in Ramlila Maidan here, is for saving the democracy and the constitution of the country and not any particular person. The grand alliance of the Opposition parties had announced this rally after Delhi chief minister and AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate on the alleged Delhi liquor scam case.
The mega rally, according to the Congress leaders, will sound the second bugle against the Modi government and will convey a strong message that their time is up and the people of the country want to get rid of them.
Addressing a press conference at the AICC headquarters here on Saturday, the Congress general secretary in charge communications Jairam Ramesh, general secretary in charge of Delhi Deepak Babaria and the Delhi Congress president Arvinder Singh Lovely said that all the 28 constituent parties of the INDIA bloc will be participating in the rally.
Major leaders, including Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, president of the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar), Sharad Pawar, president of the Shiv Sena (UBT) Uddhav Thackeray, and leader of the opposition in the Bihar legislative assembly Tejasvi Yadav, National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah, PDP leader Mehbooba Mufti, Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav, Jharkhand chief minister Champai Soren, CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury and CPI leader D Raja are some of the big names that are set to participate in the rally.
Listing the agenda of the rally, Mr Ramesh said that all political parties of INDIA will be involved and their leaders will address the rally. He said, it is not person-centric, but to ‘save the democracy rally and the constitution’ and has been named as ‘Save Democracy Rally’.
He said, rising prices, highest unemployment rate in last 45 years, economic disparities as rich are getting richer and poor getting poorer while the benefit of progress is going to a select few only, polarisation of the society and atrocities on farmers will be among the main issues to be raised in the rally.
The Congress general secretary added that the targeting of opposition parties by misusing the central investigating agencies will also be an important agenda. He pointed out, two opposition Chief Ministers and some ministers have been arrested without any charge. He said, this is a conspiracy to cripple the opposition parties at the time of elections.
The rally, he said, will also highlight the biggest scam of the last 75 years, that of Electoral Bonds through which the BJP collected Rs 8200 crores. He pointed out, these bonds were held illegal and unconstitutional by the Supreme Court of India. He said, while the BJP had amassed huge money, it had unleashed a “tax terror attack” on the principal opposition party, the Congress in particular. He disclosed that regular notices were being served on the party as two more notices were served last evening only.
Mr Ramesh said the rally was for saving the constitution and democracy particularly in view of the repeated assertions by the BJP and RSS leaders that the constitution needed to be changed as it had expired. He said, if the constitution is changed, along with it will go secularism, socialism and social justice as everything will be in danger.
He said the rally will send a powerful message to the Lok Kalyan Marg from the people of the country that they want to get rid of them (the BJP) as their time is up.
