Preparations underway for the INDIA bloc’s mega rally at the Ramlila Maidan on Saturday.
Anshita Mehra
New Delhi, March 30
As the campaign for the 18th Lok Sabha elections heats up, leaders of the anti-BJP INDIA bloc will gather in the Capital on Sunday for a ‘Save Democracy’ rally.
Paramilitary personnel deployed
New Delhi: The Delhi Police have made elaborate arrangements with checking at every gate and deployment of paramilitary personnel in and around the Ramlila Maidan for INDIA bloc’s maha rally. The Delhi Police have allowed the rally to take place with certain conditions, including no march, no tractor-trollies and no weapons in central Delhi. Although the rally is allowed, Section 144 will remain imposed at DDU Marg, where the offices of political parties are located.
Traffic advisory issued
The Delhi Police have issued a traffic advisory in view of the INDIA bloc’s rally on Sunday and said movement of vehicles in the city would be regulated for six hours on that day. The traffic movement will be regulated and may be restricted on Ranjeet Singh Flyover from Barakhamba Road to Guru Nanak Chowk, Vivekanand Marg from Minto Road to roundabout Kamla Market, Hamdard Chowk, JLN Marg from Delhi Gate to Guru Nanak Chowk and Ajmeri Gate, round about Kamla Market to Guru Nanak Chowk and Chaman Lal Marg near VIP Gate, Guru Nanak Chowk to Turkman Gate from 9 am to 3 pm.
The Aam Aadmi Party announced on Saturday that Opposition leaders such as Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, former Congress presidents Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, NCP chief Sharad Pawar, National Conference chief Farooq Abdullah, Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann, Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren, Shiv Sena (UBT)’s Uddhav Thackeray, SP’s Akhilesh Yadav, RJD’s Tejashwi Yadav and Left leaders will join the rally against “BJP’s dictatorship”.
Earlier today, AICC general secretary Jairam Ramesh said the rally was not centred on any individual but was meant to protect “democracy and the Constitution”.
The Opposition rally is taking place close on the heels of two high-profile arrests of INDIA bloc Chief Ministers — Hemant Soren in Jharkhand and Arvind Kejriwal in Delhi. While Soren had resigned prior to his arrest by the ED, Kejriwal continues to govern Delhi from jail.
“It is not an individual-centric rally. That is why it is called Loktantra Bachao Rally. It is not one party’s rally. As many as 28 parties are involved. All constituents of the INDIA jan bandhan will be taking part in the rally, including the TMC,” Ramesh said.
AAP’s Delhi state convener and minister Gopal Rai said the rally was the “last chance to save democracy and the Constitution”.
“Several prominent leaders from various political parties will join the rally. This is our last chance to save democracy. If the people of the country do not raise their voice today, no one will be able to raise their voice tomorrow,” Rai said as preparations were in full swing for the political gathering at Ramlila Ground.
Rai, who took stock of the rally preparations by visiting the venue on Saturday, again condemned the arrest of Kejriwal in the alleged liquor scam.
The rally, meanwhile, is titled “Remove Dictatorship, Save Democracy”.
Ramesh earlier said the Sunday rally would be the second LS poll bugle to be sounded by the INDIA bloc. The first was sounded in a joint rally in Mumbai on March 17, a day after LS poll schedules were announced.
“Tomorrow’s rally will also send out a message of solidarity and unity among the bloc,” Ramesh said, adding that bread and butter issues like soaring inflation, the highest unemployment rate in 45 years, economic disparities, polarisation and injustice against farmers would also be flagged by Opposition leaders at the rally on Sunday.
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#BJP #Congress #Democracy #INDIA bloc #Jairam Ramesh #Lok Sabha
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