India bloc all set for Sunday’s ‘Save Democracy’ mega rally

New Delhi: The Congress on Saturday made it categorically clear that Sunday’s mega rally is being organised by the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) in Ramlila Maidan here, is for saving the democracy and the constitution of the country and not any particular person.

The mega rally, the leaders said, would sound the second bugle against the Modi government and would convey a strong message that their time is up and the people of the country want to get rid of them.

Addressing a press conference at the AICC headquarters here on Saturday, the Congress general secretary in charge of communications Jairam Ramesh, general secretary in charge of Delhi Deepak Babaria and the Delhi Congress president Arvinder Singh Lovely said that all the 28 constituent parties of the INDIA bloc will be participating in the rally.

Rally topics will include unemployment, farmers’ issues

Listing the agenda of Sunday’s rally, Ramesh said that all political parties of INDIA will be involved and their leaders will address the rally. He said, it is not person-centric, but to ‘save the democracy rally and the constitution’ and has been named ‘Save Democracy Rally’.

He said, rising prices, the highest unemployment rate in the last 45 years, economic disparities as the rich are getting richer and the poor getting poorer while the benefit of progress is going to a select few only, polarisation of the society and atrocities on farmers will be among the main issues to be raised in the rally.

Government targeting opposition

The Congress general secretary added that the targeting of opposition parties by misusing the Central investigating agencies will also be an important agenda. He pointed out, two opposition chief ministers and some ministers have been arrested without any charge. He said this is a conspiracy to cripple the opposition parties at the time of the elections.

The rally, he said, will also highlight the biggest scam of the last 75 years, that of electoral bonds through which the BJP collected Rs 8,200 crores.

He pointed out, these bonds were held illegal and unconstitutional by the Supreme Court of India. He said, while the BJP had amassed huge money, it had unleashed a ‘tax terror attack’ on the principal opposition party, the Congress in particular. He disclosed that regular notices were being served at the party as two more notices were served last evening only.

‘Save the Constitution’

Ramesh said the rally was for saving the constitution and democracy, particularly given the repeated assertions by the BJP and RSS leaders that the constitution needed to be changed as it had expired. He said, if the constitution is changed, along with it will go secularism, socialism and social justice as everything will be in danger.

He said the rally would send a powerful message to the Lok Kalyan Marg from the people of the country that they want to get rid of them (the BJP) as their time is up.

He said the rally will be attended by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, former president Rahul Gandhi, NCP leader Sharad Pawar, Farooq Abdullah, Mehbooba Mufti, Tejashvi Yadav, Uddhav Thackeray, Akhilesh Yadav, Champai Soren, Sitaram Yechury, D Raja and others.

Speaking on the occasion, Deepak Babaria said that the rally would have maximum participation and convey a message that the democracy and constitution will need to be saved. Arvinder Singh Lovely said that the rally will mark the beginning of the decisive and final political assault on the BJP from the people of the country.