Ahead of the forthcoming Lok Sabha polls, senior leaders of political parties from the INDIA bloc will gather at the Ramlila Maidan in the capital on Sunday to corner the BJP-led Centre over various issues including “misuse” of Central probe agencies.
Notably, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and Congress announced to hold the rally at Ramlila Maidan in the wake of arrest of Delhi Chief Minister Kejriwal by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in liquor policy case last week.
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Addressing a press conference at the party headquarters, Congress general secretary in-charge of Communications Jairam Ramesh informed that leaders from around 28 political parties will attend the rally.
He also informed that Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and party leader Rahul Gandhi will participate in the rally.
“The rally of 31st March is to save democracy and the Constitution. Therefore the name is ‘save democracy rally’. This rally is not of any one party , it includes the entire INDIA bloc,” Ramesh said.
Informing that there are several issues over which the rally is being organized, he said, “We want to show solidarity on most important issues including price rise , unemployment and economic inequality.”
Highlighting other issues which would be raised during the rally, he said, “The issue of electoral bonds. The biggest scam in post independent India, the electoral bond scam, which had been declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court. Misuse of investigative agencies to arrest democratically elected Chief Ministers and other political leaders including ministers in different states and assault on the Constitution.’’
Attacking the BJP, Delhi Congress president Arvinder Singh Lovely, who was also present said, “The democracy is under attack. Many tactics are being used to suppress opposition parties. The BJP government is working to break the Opposition parties by using probe agencies.”
Meanwhile, senior Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader and Delhi minister Gopal Rai visited the Ramlila Maidan and took stock of the preparations of the rally.
Rai, who is also AAP Delhi state convenor, said,’This rally is to save democracy and the Constitution. If we do not raise our voice today then no one will be able to raise our voice tomorrow.”
Referring to the arrest of Kejriwal, he said, “Modi government has adopted a dictatorial attitude and arrested Chief Minister Kejriwal.”
Earlier, he said, “Whoever loves this country, should gather at Ramlila Maidan. We will raise our voice from there to end the authoritarianism of this country and collectively take this fight forward.”
According to sources, besides Kharge and Gandhi, Sharad Pawar, president of Nationalist Congress Party-Sharadchandra Pawar; Uddhav Thackeray, president of Shiv Sena (UBT); Farooq Abdullah, chief of the Jammu and Kashmir National Conference, will also be present in the rally., sources said.
Jharkhand Chief Minister Champai Soren, former Bihar Deputy chief Minister and senior Rashtriya Janata Dal Tejashwi Yadav and Trinamool Congress MP Derek O’Brian are among the prominent leaders from Opposition who will attend the rally.
The Delhi police on Friday granted permission for holding the rally at the Ramlila Maidan.
