The CPI-ML (Liberation), on Wednesday, launched its first in the series “oust Modi campaign” ahead of 2024 general election here at historic Gandhi Maidan.

Thousands of poor downtrodden people carrying red party flags amidst slogans like “Lal Salaam” were visible on the streets of Patna since Tuesday night. More than 2,000 delegates from different parts of the country right from Jammu &Kashmir to far off Gujarat have attended the rally.

Two leaders from Bangladesh – Bazlur Rashid Firoz general secretary of Bangladesh Samajtantrik Dal and Saiful Haque general secretary Biplavi Workers Party – were present on the occasion.

Samuel Wainright of Socialist Alliance Australia was on the dais.

Addressing the mammoth rally “Save Democracy Save India” here at the Gandhi Maidan, the national general secretary of the CPI-ML Dipankar Bhattacharya, while quoting the Oxfam report 2022 released on January 23, said the title was “Survival of The Richest”.  It is in fact the “Festival of The Richest”.

“Inequality that grew alarmingly during the pandemic and is reinforced constantly by the regressive taxation pattern in the neo-liberal era where poor are taxed heavily while the rich get away with paying very little taxes,” he said, adding there is a conspiracy to make bordering regions of Bihar ( Kishanganj) and North Bengal  as union territories. BJP wants to rule by proxy in these non-BJP states by invoking its UT status, he said.

 “The Modi Government boasts of launching the world’s longest river cruise from Varanasi to Dibrugarh where passengers are assured ultimate luxury for 51 days by paying 300 dollars per head per day,” Dipankar said. In the context of India, the India story of the global report should actually be rechristened’ Festival of The Richest’, party supremo said.

The party supremo spoke at length about the rising unemployment, poverty, communal frenzy, economic inequality, attack on freedom of press, IT raids on BBC offices and on Adani affairs.

The inaugural function of the 11th national congress of the party would be held on Thursday here at SK Memorial hall in which several left leaders including of CPI CPM Forward Bloc Lal Nishan Party would be participating.

On February 17, the congress would be dedicated to international affairs where they will discuss the current scenario of the external affairs.

On February 18, all the representatives of the Opposition parties including CM Nitish Kumar, Deputy CM Tejashwi Prasad Yadav, former CM Jitan Ram Manjhi, Congress leader Salman Khurshid and many more would be participating in the “Loktantra Bachao Desh Bachao” convention.

The ruling seven-party alliance partner has already given a call for a massive rally at bordering Purnia on February 25. This would be the show of strength of opposition parties in the bordering 4 districts- Purnia Araria Katihar and Kishanganj. All these districts there are a sizable number of minorities. In the last 2019 Lok Sabha polls only one seat has been clinched by the congress. The remaining 39 Lok Sabha seats were grabbed by the then NDA alliance.

Interestingly, Union Home Minister Amit Shah would be visiting Bihar on the same day. Shah will be addressing public meetings at Valmikinagar and Bagaha. Later in the evening, he will be addressing a gathering of farmers in Patna on the occasion of the birth anniversary of the founder of the Bihar Kisan Sabha and freedom fighter Swami Sahajanand Saraswati.

The rebel JDU leader Upendra Kushwaha has also given a call for a two day party workers meeting in Patna on February 19-20. According to a party insider he is likely to announce a separate party.