New Delhi, Apr 1:
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Sunday while stating that I.N.D.I.A. alliance represented and symbolised India’s spirit of “unity in diversity” alleged that the BJP and the RSS were like a poison and they cannot even be tasted for test, as that can prove fatal.
Addressing the ‘Save Democracy’ mega rally organised by the I.N.D.I.A. bloc at the Ramlila Maidan here, Kharge exhorted for unity and called upon the alliance partners to fight together in the national interest.
He said, the alliance partners may have certain differences at the local and State levels, but they are together when it comes to defending and safeguarding the national interest.
The Congress president maintained that the 2024 General Elections were being held to decide the future of the country whether the democracy will survive or dictatorship will thrive under Modi. “Modi believes in dictatorship and not in democracy”, he added.
Accusing the BJP government of denying the level playing field to the opposition parties, he pointed out how all the bank accounts of the Congress party had been frozen just at the time of elections and how the opposition leaders were being intimidated and two Chief Ministers had been arrested.
Referring to Rahul Gandhi’s remarks that Modi was trying to fix these elections like the ‘match fixing’ in cricket, Kharge said, he (Modi) was also queering the pitch for his political opponents.
Pointing out how the investigating agencies were being misused against the opposition parties, he disclosed that the Congress party has recently been served with notices by the Income Tax demanding a penalty of Rs. 3,567 crores for a mere violation of Rs. 14 lakh.
He alleged that these were Modi’s ways of intimidating the opposition parties and even forcing some parties for alliance with his party. He disclosed that when the Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren refused to join the NDA, he was put behind bars.
Kejriwal’s guarantees
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s wife, Sunita Kejriwal, read out a message sent by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) convener on Sunday and announced six guarantees pitched by him if the opposition alliance wins Lok Sabha elections.
Addressing arally organised by the I.N.D.I.A. bloc leaders here at Ramlila Maidan, Sunita, while reading out Kejriwal’s message, said, “The people of Delhi have faced injustice in the last 75 years. We will make Delhi a full state if the India bloc comes to power.” “If voted to power, India will fulfill six guarantees, including good hospitals and education,” she added.
She read outthe Chief Minister’s six guarantees, including free electricity for the poor, mohalla clinics, MSP for farmers, and full statehood for Delhi.
“If you give the India bloc the responsibility, we will build a great India. I give you six guarantees. First, we will make arrangements for 24-hour electricity across the country. Second, we will make the electricity of the poor free across the country. Third, we will build excellent government schools in every village. Fourth, we will make a mohalla clinic in every village and mohalla. We will have multi-specialty government hospitals in every district. We will make arrangements for free treatment for every citizen of the country. Fifth, it will give the appropriate cost of crops to farmers according to MSP. Sixth, we will give Delhi the status of a state,” Sunita read out.
The CM’s wife began his speech by calling Kejriwal a lion and asserting that they (the Modi-led BJP) cannot keep him in jail for long.
“Your own Arvind Kejriwal has sent a message for you from jail. Before reading this message, I would like to ask you something. Our Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, put my husband in jail. Did the Prime Minister do the right thing? Do you believe that Kejriwal Ji is a true patriot and honest person? 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 at the rally.
She further asserted that Mother India is in pain, adding, “This tyranny won’t work. My husband is getting lots of blessings.” Thousands of people, including I.N.D.I.A. bloc supporters Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, party leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackrey, RJD leader Tejaswi Yadav, SP leader Akhilesh Yadav, NC leader Farooq Abdullah, and PDP leader Mehbooba Mufti, along with Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal’s wife Sunita Kejriwal, gathered at the Ramlila Maidan for the rally christened “Loktantra Bachao”.
