In a massive show of strength, leaders of the opposition INDIA bloc gathered at the Ramlila Maidan in Delhi to express solidarity with arrested Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and former Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren.
Addressing the ‘Save Democracy’ rally, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge described the RSS-BJP combine as "poison" that has "destroyed" the country, and called on all opposition parties to unite to defeat the ruling party.
Kharge also accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of misusing institutions to threaten opposition parties and their leaders, and toppling their governments to form BJP governments.
"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,” he said.
"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 alleged.
Addressing the rally, Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra made five demands of the INDIA bloc and urged the Election Commission to ensure a level playing field in the Lok Sabha elections.
"INDIA Alliance has 5 demands. The Election Commission should ensure equal opportunity in the Lok Sabha elections. Second, the ECI should stop the forceful action against the opposition taken by the ED, CBI and IT. Third, Hemant Soren and Arvind Kejriwal should be released immediately. Fourth, attempts to weaken the opposition financially should be stopped. Fifth, an SIT should be formed to investigate the funds raised by the BJP through electoral bonds," Priyanka Gandhi said.
She further asserted that despite the BJP creating 'undemocratic obstacles', the alliance is committed to fighting, winning, and saving the country's democracy.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi also raised scathing allegations against the government, saying PM Modi has “match-fixed” the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.
“IPL matches are being held today. When umpires are pressurised, players are bought, and captains are threatened to win matches, it is called match fixing in cricket. We have Lok Sabha polls before us; umpires were chosen by PM Modi,” Rahul said.
Former president Sonia Gandhi, NCP's Sharad Yadav, NC leader Farooq Abdullah, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray; Left leaders Sitaram Yechury, D. Raja, Dipankar Bhattacharya; Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav; RJD's Tejashwi Yadav and TMC's Derek O'Brien were also present on the stage as the rally turned out to be a show of strength for the opposition bloc.
Kejriwal was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate on March 21 in a money laundering case linked to the Delhi excise policy scam. He is in the agency’s custody till April 1.
“Two players from our team have been arrested before the match,” Rahul said, referring to the arrests of Kejriwal and Soren. “In this election, Modi’s 400-seat slogan is not possible without fixing EVMs, pressuring the media and social media”.
Rahul also targeted the government over the freezing of Congress’s bank accounts in the middle of the elections. “We have to run campaigns, send workers to states, and put up posters, but all our bank accounts have been closed. What kind of election is this?,” he asked.
Kejriwal's wife Sunita Kejriwal read out a letter from her husband which she said he sent from the Enforcement Directorate's custody. “Prime Minister Narendra Modi put my husband in jail, did the Prime Minister do the right thing? These BJP people are saying that Kejriwal ji is in jail, and should resign. Should he resign? Your Kejriwal is a lion, they will not be able to keep him in jail for long," Sunita said.
In his message—read out by Sunita at the rally—the chief minister presented six guarantees, including granting statehood to Delhi.
Kalpana Soren, in her address, appealed to people to use their votes "wisely".
"We, the tribals, have a long story of struggle and sacrifice. We are proud of our history. The crowd is evidence that the way autocratic forces are trying to attack democracy, this assembly has gathered against it," she said.
Uddhav Thackeray, meanwhile, alleged the country has become an "autocracy" under the Modi government, and appealed to the people to throw the BJP out of power. He accused the ruling party of misusing the ED, CBI and Income Tax Department, and said they should declare that these three agencies are their allies.
"We are not here for an election campaign, we are here to save democracy... what kind of government is this, you make allegations and send people to jail," he said.
Delhi Congress chief Arvinder Singh Lovely said the Lok Sabha elections will decide the future of coming generations and what kind of democracy they live in.
"You arrest a sitting chief minister. You freeze the accounts of the biggest opposition party. What democracy is this? Shaheed Bhagat Singh did not sacrifice his life for this kind of democracy. The 2024 election is neither about AAP, Congress or INDIA bloc or those who discuss elections in their drawing rooms. This election will decide the future of our coming generations and what kind of a democracy they live in the future," he said.