PATNA: A glimpse of the Opposition unity before the Lok Sabha polls was seen on Thursday in a massive rally here organised by Communist Party of India (CPI), in which top leaders of the Left, Congress, RJD and other parties attacked the BJP-led NDA and vowed to defeat it in the polls next year.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar were the main targets of the Opposition leaders who addressed the ‘Defeat BJP, Save Country’ rally at Patna’s historic Gandhi Maidan. Thousands of men and women from across Bihar attended the rally and heard the leaders urge them to save democracy and the Constitution from the “diabolical designs” of the RSS-BJP combine.
Congress national general secretary Ghulam Nabi Azad, CPI general secretary S Sudhakar Reddy, senior CPI leaders D Raja and Atul Anjan, CPM parliamentary party leader Mohammad Salim, CPI(ML) general secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya, former JNU Students Union president Kanhaiya Kumar, socialist veteran and former JD(U) chief Sharad Yadav, former Bihar chief minister and HAM chief Jitan Ram Manjhi were among the leaders who addressed the rally. Dalit leader and Gujarat MLA Jignesh Mevani also spoke at the rally.
“The BJP-led government at the Centre has failed to fulfill the tall promises they made. By implementing measures such as demonetisation and GST, the government deprived 35 lakh people of their livelihood. It is time this regime was shown the doors,” said Ghulam Nabi Azad. Attacking Bihar CM and JD(U) national president Nitish Kumar for ditching the Grand Alliance and allying again with BJP, he said it is the first time a CM has been abducted for political reasons.
Dipankar Bhattacharya and Sudhakar Reddy hit out at the Narendra Modi government for the alleged corruption in the Rafale fighter jet deal and the rise in communal violence. “The media is being muzzled and the Constitution has been in danger under this regime. All Left and socialist democratic forces must get together to prevent NDA’s return to power in the Lok Sabha polls next year,” said Bhattacharya.
“BJP and RSS are working hard to divide the nation in the name of religion and caste. They are keeping Muslims under perpetual threat and intimidating the Dalits and intellectuals,” said Reddy, calling for greater unity among the Opposition parties to defeat NDA in the polls.
Kanhaiya Kumar, who is all set to be the CPI candidate from Bihar’s Begusarai Lok Sabha constituency, said it is easier than ever now to defeat BJP as the people are tired of living under false promises and rising threats to their freedom.
While RJD leader and leader of the Opposition in Bihar Assembly, Tejashwi Yadav, was invited to the rally by CPI, his absence from the event raised questions. RJD state president Ramchandra Purve represented the party at the rally.