NEW DELHI: In a massive show of strength and unity, leaders of the opposition parties belonging to the INDI Alliance came together for the 'Save Democracy' rally at the Ramlila Maidan in Delhi to express solidarity with their jailed counterparts.
Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, RJD's Tejashwi Yadav, NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) leader Sharad Pawar, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray, Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav, CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury, CPI general secretary D Raja, PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti, NC's Farooq Abdullah and Jharkhand Chief Minister Champai Soren were among the leaders who were present at the rally.
Sunita Kejriwal, wife of jailed Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Kalpana Soren, wife of jailed former Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren were also present at the rally.
Both of them expressed their gratitude to the alliance partners for coming together and being a part of their fight.
"This tyranny will not work. My husband is getting lots of blessings," said Sunita Kejriwal.
"The BJP is demanding the resignation of Chief Minister Kejriwal. Should he resign? Is his arrest justified? He is a 'sher' (lion). They won't be able to keep him behind bars for long," she said.
She also read out a message from Arvind Kejriwal which highlighted six poll guarantees of INDI alliance.
Kalpana Soren, wife of former Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren said, “I am standing in front of you as the voice of 50 per cent of India’s women population and 9 per cent of the tribal community…Today, this gathering in this historic ground is testifying that you all have come from every part of the country to end the dictatorship…”
Speaking at the rally, Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav said that the BJP is being "criticised" across the world for the arrest of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, and accused the ruling party at the Centre over peddling lies.
"With the arrest of Arvind Kejriwal, BJP is being criticised all over the world. It has been proved that the government can do whatever it wants. Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren went to jail. Arvind Kejriwal went to jail. There are allegations against all the people of the opposition. But, will there be any action against the BJP which is looting and doing corruption in Uttar Pradesh?" he said.
Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray said that the rally is not an election campaign but is to save democracy.
"We are not here for an election campaign, we are here to save democracy...you level allegations and send people to jail. What kind of government is this?"
"When two of our sisters are fighting, how can the brother stay behind? So we are here for our sisters, Kalpana ji and Sunita ji. Not just us, the whole country is with you," he said.
Addressing the rally, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav alleged that an "undeclared emergency" was prevailing in the country.
"Cases have been slapped on me, my father, mother, sisters. We are not the ones to get scared. The manner in which Hemant Soren ji and (Arvind) Kejriwal ji have been arrested (has been seen by everyone). We are not going to be cowed down by their threat. Only lion is locked up. We are lions and we also never shy away from struggle," Yadav said.
Taking a jibe at PM Modi's election promises, Yadav said, "Modi ji says his guarantee is a strong one, we say that his guarantee is like Chinese goods, use it two-three times and it goes bad. So his guarantees are only meant for elections. They (BJP) only indulge in propaganda and making threats,"
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge came down heavily on BJP and described the RSS-BJP combination as "poison" that has "destroyed" the country.
"The BJP and the RSS are like poison, don't taste it. They have destroyed the country and they should not be allowed to destroy it further," he said.
"There is no level-playing field in this election. PM Modi has dug up the ground and is asking the opposition to play cricket there," Kharge said adding that the upcoming election is "not fair" as the Congress' funds have already been "stolen".
Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann said, "They (BJP-led central government) jail everyone, they have jailed those who made schools and hospitals, they have freezed Congress' bank accounts... What do they think themselves? They have jailed Arvind Kejriwal and Hemant Soren. Are you the owner of this house? No, the owner of this house are the 140 crore people of this country."
CPI-M leader Sitaram Yechury called on the people of India to take down the Modi government so as to achieve true “Amrit Kaal”.
“If we want freedom from inflation and unemployment in the country, then we will get freedom from the Modi government. If you truly want to achieve Amrit Kaal in the country, then you will have to bring INDIA,” he said, adding “India will join, INDIA will win,” he said.
