‘RSS, BJP are like poison, don’t give them another chance’, warn top opposition leaders
– Abdul Bari Masoud
New Delhi, April 1: Addressing the ‘Save Democracy’ mega rally at the Ramlila Maidan here Sunday, Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) leaders warned that RSS and BJP were like poison; it’s not even safe to taste them for testing purposes because doing so could be fatal. They also claimed that without manipulating Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and employing other coercive and frightening strategies, the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) has no chance of getting even 180 seats.
The rally was the first major show of strength by the Opposition bloc INDIA after the arrest of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in the Delhi liquor policy case last week.
Senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi cautioned people that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was desperately trying to fix the General Elections, the way sometimes cricket matches are done. He said, notwithstanding the claims by PM Modi to win 400 seats, the entire NDA cannot reach even 180 seats without manipulating EVMs and other intimidating and arm-twisting tactics.
Cricket matches are fixed by various methods like appointing umpires of choice, buying out players and intimidating captains; similarly, Modi had appointed Election Commissioners of his choice, was trying to pressurize the judiciary and jailed two Chief Ministers Hemant Soren and Arvind Kejriwal, just ahead of the elections.
Besides, he added, all bank accounts of the Congress party had been frozen right at the start of the election process in a clear attempt to prevent it from campaigning.
Alleging that the BJP’s designs were sinister at changing the Constitution, Gandhi referred to one of the BJP MPs’ statement that it needs 400 seats to change the Constitution. He observed, it was not an off-the-cuff remark, but was made deliberately to gauge the public reaction.
He warned against any such attempt to change the Constitution, saying it will set the entire country on fire. He said India will no longer remain India; it will be fragmented into smaller pieces if the Constitution was changed.
Gandhi said, the upcoming general election is not a routine poll for mere casting of votes, but an election that would decide the Destiny of the country, its Democracy and its Constitution. He urged people to exercise their franchise carefully and cautiously as the country’s future depended on the way they would vote.
Gandhi said, this election is for the social justice, i.e. providing due representation to people, legal guarantee on MSP, jobs to people, and saving the democracy, constitution and safeguarding the rights and freedoms of people.
In his speech, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said INDIA represents India’s spirit of “unity in diversity”.
He warned that BJP and RSS were like poison; they cannot even be tasted for the sake of testing, as that can prove fatal.
“As nobody can taste poison even once as it can cause certain death,” he said, “BJP and RSS deserve no more chances as they will prove to be fatal for the country.”
Asking BJP and RSS what they had done for the country, Kharge 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 to decide whether the democracy will survive or dictatorship will thrive under Modi. “Modi believes in dictatorship and not in democracy,” he remarked.
Accusing the BJP government of denying the level playing field to the Opposition parties, he pointed out how all bank accounts of the Congress party had been frozen just at the time of elections and how Opposition leaders were intimidated and two Chief Ministers 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 investigating agencies were being misused against Opposition parties, he disclosed that the Congress has recently been served with notices by Income Tax demanding a penalty of Rs.3567 crores for a mere violation of Rs.14 lakhs.
He alleged that these were Modi’s ways of intimidating Opposition parties and even forcing some parties to ally with his party. He disclosed that when Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren refused to join NDA, he was put behind bars.
Opposition leaders spoke to the flag-waving masses and criticized Modi’s government for arresting several of their colleagues, including Kejriwal on March 21. They called the arrests undemocratic and accused Modi of using federal agencies to undermine the Opposition.
Wives of both incarcerated leaders – Kejriwal and Hemant Soren – spoke at the event. Sunita Kejriwal read out a message from the jailed Chief Minister.
Tejashwi Yadav delighted the audience by spoofing the song “Tum Toh Dhokhebaaz Ho,” which is included in the popular film Saajan Chale Sasural starring Govinda. The actor recently joined NDA and is a member of Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde). The song made fun of the Modi government’s purportedly broken promises. He said BJP had already rigged EVMs, as evidenced by their campaign slogan, “Abki baar, 400 paar”.
Taking a dig at BJP, former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav asked why the ruling party which is confident of winning 400 seats is scared of Kejriwal and other Opposition leaders.
CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury underlined the importance of the venue, saying, “It was here, 47 years back, that a historic meeting was held where Jai Prakash Narayan raised the slogan ‘Freedom or servitude’ and in the election that year ‘freedom’ won. Today again we are demanding freedom for our secular democratic nation from certain forces,” he said.
Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra read out the five-point demands on behalf of INDIA bloc: let Election Commission ensure level playing field; stop “coercive action” by central agencies such as the CBI, ED, and IT and release Soren and Kejriwal immediately. The Opposition also demanded the Supreme Court form a Special Investigation Team to look into the claims made by the BJP regarding money laundering, extortion, and quid pro quo in relation to electoral bonds.
