United India Rally: Opposition leaders call for ousting BJP Government from Delhi

Which Government has ever sent an Income Tax notice to the Opposition after its rally in Patna? Accusing the Modi Government of sending an IT notice to RJD leader to explain how an opposition rally was funded, opposition leaders on Saturday sarcastically asked if similar notices were sent to BJP leaders and party president Amit Shah.

The leaders asserted they were confident of defeating the BJP in this year’s general election. “Modi Ji aur Amit Shah Ji jaane waale hain/ Desh ke ache din aane wale hain”, said Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal. The year 2019 will see a new Prime Minister, asserted Chandra Babu Naidu. Karnataka CM Kumaraswamy declared that they will prove in 2019 that BJP is a paper tiger.

The general election will be all about ‘Modi hatao, BJP Bhagao aur Desh Bachao’, they suggested.

Addressing a massive ‘United India Rally’ in Kolkata’s Brigade Parade Ground on Saturday, opposition leaders from across India declared their resolve to fight both Modi and ‘Moditva’. They were scathing in their criticism of the NDA Government and Prime Minister Narendra Modi and asserted that democracy, the Constitution, institutions and the federal structure were all under attack.

A surprise participant, former Arunachal Pradesh chief minister Gegong Apang who resigned from the BJP a few days ago, told the gathering that although a former chief minister of the state Kalikho Pul committed suicide and another minister died under mysterious circumstances, the Centre stalled a CBI inquiry. Democracy, he declared, is going through testing times and the federal structure of the country is threatened.

You can watch the opposition leaders’speech here:

A massive crowd of enthusiastic workers and supporters, including a man on a wheelchair, attended the mega anti-BJP rally.

Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee reached the venue almost an hour before the scheduled time while party leaders, MPs MLAs took their seats on the side stage. Amidst elaborate security arrangements, the enthusiastic participants gathered waving giants flags. People were seen donning party symbols on hats and clothes. Most of their sloganeering was centred around Modi, BJP National President Amit Shah and about the party's rule "finishing" in 2019.

"We want to hear didi," Atish Chandra Bagdi, an avid supporter of the Trinamool supremo from Murshidabad district said. He painted himself in his party's colours. Some people like Amzad Hossain from Coochbehar district donning dresses printed with the party's symbol, had arrived in the city on Friday.

"Let us take the pledge of building a progressive, strong and United India" read the backdrop of the main stage, where a number of Trinamool flags fluttered.

In her speech Mamata Banerjee said that like medicines, Modi government has also crossed its expiry date. “There is courtesy in politics, but BJP does not follow it; those who are not with BJP are called thieves”, she said. She added that the opposition parties have promised to work together and the issue of who will be the prime minister can be decided after the Lok Sabha elections. She ended her speech with the resounding slogan 'Badal do, badal do, Delhi ka sarkar badal do!' (change the government at the Centre) at Kolkata rally.

With inputs from agencies