At this afternoon’s INDIA bloc demonstration at Delhi’s Ramlila Maidan, the leaders of all significant Opposition parties demanded the release of Hemant Soren, the former chief minister of Jharkhand, and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. The politicians expressed worries about the state of democracy in the nation and charged that the BJP was utilising the Central Investigative Agencies to destroy the Opposition. Retaliating, the BJP said that the event was a “save family” and “hide corruption” gathering rather than one intended to preserve democracy.
The provision of level playing fields before to the elections was one of the five demands made by the Opposition to the Election Commission, as stated by Congresswoman Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.
Ms. Gandhi Vadra stated that attempts to forcibly undermine the finances of opposition parties have to be halted right away, omitting to bring up the recent income tax notice and the freeze on Congress funding. She read out the list of demands and added that the Enforcement Directorate, CBI, and Income Tax agency should cease their actions as well.
The coalition further asked that a Special Investigation Team overseen by the Supreme Court look into allegations of “extortion” of donations by the BJP through the electoral bonds programme.
The leaders declared that the “Loktantra Bachao Rally” exemplified the INDIA bloc’s will to battle for, win, and preserve India’s democracy.
“If the BJP wins these fixed elections and changes the Constitution, the country will be on fire,” declared Congress’s Rahul Gandhi. “You have to decide if you want democracy or dictatorship… Those who support dictatorship need to be kicked out of the country,” added party chief Mallikarjun Kharge.
“A new energy in the politics of India has been born today… Today, the slogan for independence is being raised here… It is our independence that our Constitution and our republic are protected. We will gain this independence,” said CPM’s Sitaram Yechury.
Arvind Kejriwal, according to Punjab Chief Minister and prominent Aam Aadmi Party figure Bhagwant Mann, is a philosophy more than a person.
“You can arrest Arvind Kejriwal, but how will you arrest his ideology? In which jail will you send the lakhs of Kejriwals that are born in India?” he said, reiterating the party stance on the arrest of the Chief Minister, which took place on the eve of the general elections in the country. Mr Kejriwal’s wife Sunita Kejriwal and Hemant Soren’s wife Kalpana Soren were also present at today’s rally.
The Opposition group, which was garnering more media attention lately for its divisions than for its cohesion, has come together as a result of the arrest.
Mamata Banerjee, the leader of the Trinamool Congress, served as an example when she chose to forge ahead in Bengal and rejected the established sit-sharing arrangement. She even declared that she would reevaluate the situation after the election and put her membership in the INDIA bloc on hold.
Nonetheless, Trinamool MP Derek O’Brien vehemently stated today that the party “very much was, is, and will be part of the INDIA alliance”. “This is a fight of BJP versus democracy,” he stated.
Additionally, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the BJP campaign in Uttar Pradesh on the day of the gathering. Akhilesh Yadav, the leader of the Samajwadi Party, seemed unconcerned, though.
Appearing at the rally, Mr Yadav said, “These people are giving the slogan of ‘400 paar’. If you are going to win more than 400 seats, then why are you scared of the AAP leader”.
“You have sent elected Chief Ministers to jail. Not just the Indians but the whole world is criticising it,” he said, without mentioning the comments that have come on the subject from the United Nations, United States and Germany.
Reporters were informed by BJP spokeswoman Sudhanshu Trivedi that the opposition rally’s purpose was to conceal their corrupt activities.
“The Congress is supporting those who have looted the country as Congress has also looted throughout their tenure. From the days of Pandit Nehru, the Jeep scam to the Bofors scam; the coal scam to the commonwealth scam and the 2G scam. All these happened while the Congress was in power,” said Union Minister Pralhad Joshi.
“Those who put dots between the names of our country and talk about saving the nation at Ramlila Maidan are really there to protect their families… Congress is infused with India’s ‘tukde tukde’. Shehzad Poonawala of the BJP stated, “Yuvraj is not even prepared to acknowledge India as a nation and he also demands interference of foreign soil.”
