India Bloc Maharally News: Days after the Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s arrest by Enforcement Directorate, a mega rally named ‘Loktantra Bachao’ (Save Democracy) will be held at Delhi’s Ramlila Maidan by top opposition leaders who have banded as Indian National Democratic Inclusive Alliance (I.N.D.I.A.) with the goal to de-seat Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party from power during General Elections in the summer.
India Bloc Maharally by AAP
Apart from opposition leaders Rahul Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge, and Akhilesh Yadav, the mega-rally on Sunday (March 31) will also be attended by Arvind Kejriwal’s wife Sunita who recently came in spotlight as purported messenger of her jailed husband.
Indian Opposition’s ‘Save Democracy’ rally: What does it mean?
The opposition is expected to present a united front amid calls against what they describe as the ruling BJP’s misuse of central agencies such as the Enforcement Directorate, CBI, and the Income Tax Department.
Also watch | Ahead of I.N.D.I’s mega rally, Congress gets tax notice; Kerala Congress Committee stages protest
The issue has taken centre stage following the arrests of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and former Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren.
Meanwhile, the Income Tax department has issued notices to the Congress to explain the financial transactions which India’s principal opposition party claims occurred decades ago in the early 1990s.
The Congress party has branded the rally as an event that will send a “strong message” to PM Modi that his “time is up”. Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said, “It is not a person-specific rally. That is why it is called Loktantra Bachao rally. This is not one party’s rally, about 27-28 parties are involved. All constituents of the INDIA ‘janbandhan’ will be taking part in the rally.”
Ramlila Maidan ‘Save Democracy’ rally: Who all will attend?
The leaders in attendance will be Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, senior party leader Rahul Gandhi, Samajwadi Party President Akhilesh Yadav, NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) chief Sharad Pawar, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray, Senior RJD leader and former Bihar deputy chief minister Tejashwi Yadav. Jharkhand Chief Minister Champai Soren, former Jammu and Kashmir chief ministers Farooq Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti, and the DMK’s Tiruchi Siva.
Key opposition leader and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is likely to give the Ramlila Maidan rally a miss, given that if she attends the rally, she would have to share stage with Communist Party of India-Maoist’s (CPI-M’s) Sitaram Yechury, her bitter rival in West Bengal. The TMC is expected to be represented by its Rajya Sabha MP Derek O’Brien.
(With inputs from agencies)
