At Mamata rally, Oppn vows to oust Modi govt
UNITED FRONT Central govt is past its expiry date, assert leaders from 18 parties
KOLKATA/NEW DELHI: Leaders of 18 opposition parties, cutting across regional and ideological barriers, resolved on Saturday to put up united fight against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and oust it from power in the upcoming general election, as they staged a massive show of strength at Kolkata’s Brigade Parade Ground.
An estimated half-a-million people were in attendance at the rally -- the biggest organised at the historic venue in recent years. Political leaders from 14 states shared the stage at the event, an initiative of West Bengal chief minister and Trinamool Congress leader Mamata Banerjee, which virtually kicked off the opposition’s election campaign.
“The BJP government has crossed its expiry date,” said Banerjee, who was the last to speak. Hardik Patel, a leader of the powerful Patidar community in Gujarat, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s homestate, was the first to address the audience, which also heard BJP dissidents Arun Shourie, Yashwant Sinha and Shatrughan Sinha call for the ouster of the Modi government .
“Haven’t seen anyone run a country in a such a fascist manner,” said Banerjee, who ended her speech with the slogan “BJP hatao, desh bachao” (remove BJP, save the country), followed by “Jai Hind, Vande Mataram.”.
Congress veteran Mallikarjun Kharge, leader of the largest opposition party in the Lok
The BJP government has crossed its expiry date. So the New Year will be a fresh change... Delhi mein sarkar badal do MAMATA BANERJEE, West
Bengal chief minister You [the NDA government] are making alliances with the CBI and ED. But we have alliances with the people AKHILESH YADAV, Samajwadi Party president This election will not be an ordinary one. It will be an election to restore the nation’s faith in democracy
SONIA GANDHI, UPA chairperson, in a note addressed to the gathering
Sabha, read out a letter from United Progressive Alliance (UPA) chief Sonia Gandhi in which she urged the people to save the Constitution and the basic ethos of the nation. Kharge represented the Congress at the rally in the absence of party president Rahul Gandhi.
Opposition leaders decided to hold at least two more such rallies -- in Andhra Pradesh and Delhi -- as the country prepares for the next general election, in which farm distress, lack of sufficient jobs for new entrants to the workforce, alleged wrongdoing in a ₹59,000 crore deal for the purchase of Rafale fighter jets, and economic disruptions caused by the November 2016 invalidation of high-value bank notes and the July 2017 implementation of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) are looming as the major issues.
All the issues figured in speeches at Saturday’s rally, where former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda of the Janata Dal (Secular) suggested specific action points.
“A small group of leaders must immediately be formed to draft an election manifesto and policy document,” said Deve Gowda.