Lok Sabha Elections 2024: Over a dozen opposition leaders came together at New Delhi’s historic Ramlila Maidan on Sunday (March 31) with focus on jailed Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party co-founder Arvind Kejriwal’s arrest by Enforcement Directorate in alleged liquor-gate scandal. As the leaders of India’s youngest national political party, Aam Aadmi Party managed to keep the mega-rally’s focus on Arvind Kejriwal’s future amid the rallying calls by other opposition leaders to ‘save constitution and constitutional values’.
Over a decade ago, it was at Ramlila Maidan itself that Arvind Kejriwal first took oath as Delhi Chief Minister. With Kejriwal himself in jail, the Aam Aadmi Party deployed his wife Sunita Kejriwal for political messaging.
Quoting Arvind Kejriwal, Sunita Kejriwal said, “I am not asking for votes today… I invite 140 crore Indians to make a new India… India is a great nation with thousands of years old civilisation… I think about Mother India from inside the jail and she is in pain… Let’s make a new India… If INDIA Alliance is given an opportunity, we will build a new India… I present 6 guarantees on behalf of INDIA Alliance. First, there will be no power cuts in the whole country. Second, electricity would be free for the poor people. Third, we will make government schools in every village. Fourth, we will make Mohalla Clinics in every village. We will make a multi-speciality government hospital in every district. Everyone would get free treatment. Fifth, farmers would be given the correct price for the crops. Sixth, the people of Delhi have faced injustice for 75 years… We will give statehood to Delhi… We will complete these 6 guarantees in 5 years. I have made all the planning from where the money for these guarantees will come…”
Sunita was seen sharing a moment of bonhomie with senior Congress leader Sonia Gandhi as she reached the stage of rally at Ramlila Maidan about two hours after the event began.
But the contradictions within the Opposition — which has banded as Indian National Democratic Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) to purportedly de-seat Prime Minister Narendra Modi from power — were visible in the Indian capital at the cusp of election summer.
“It is time that one party and one person’s government have to go,” Uddhav Thackeray, the leader of Shivsena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) said, a sentiment repeated by his ‘INDIA’ counterparts such as former Jammu and Kashmir chief ministers Mehbooba Mufti and Farooq Abdullah.
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The Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Mamata Banerjee was absent from the scene, with West Bengal chief minister’s party represented by Rajya Sabha MPs Derek O’Brien and Sagarika Ghose. Given the photographic symbolism of the event, O’Brien chose to move away from CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechuri, the arch rival of TMC, beside whom he was initially seated.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi claimed that the BJP won’t be able to win more than 180 seats if it chooses to give up what he described as ‘high-handedness through ED, CBI, and Income Tax departments’ against the Opposition leaders.
Rahul Gandhi’s sister and Congress General-Secretary Priyanka Gandhi-Vadra called for the release of arrested leaders of ‘INDIA’ bloc including Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal and former Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren.
(With inputs from agencies)
