Oppn unity in full view at Ramlila, as leaders call for ouster of BJP in LS polls

NT Correspondent

New Delhi: Top leaders of the INDIA bloc on Sunday exhorted the people to defeat the BJP to save democracy and the Constitution and alleged that the opposition has been deprived of a level playing field in the Lok Sabha elections due to the government's "dictatorial" actions.

Coming together at the 'Loktantra Bachao' (Save Democracy) rally at Ramlila Maidan, the first such show of strength by the opposition after the announcement of Lok Sabha polls, the leaders of 18 major parties slammed the arrest of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and former Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren and gave a fervent call to the alliance partners to unite in national interest.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi accused Prime Minister Modi of trying to do "match-fixing" in the Lok Sabha polls and warned that if the BJP wins through this endeavour and "changes" the Constitution, then the country would be "finished".

The public meeting was aimed at high - lighting the issue of "attack on democracy" including the alleged misuse of agencies against opposition leaders in the aftermath of the arrest of AAP chief Kejriwal and JMM leader Hemant Soren and income tax notices to parties.

Kejriwal's wife Sunita Kejriwal and Hemant Soren's wife Kalpana Soren also addressed the gathering, lashing out at the central government over the arrest of their husbands.

Reading out a message from Kejriwal, Sunita Kejriwal told the gathering that they should keep alive the "dream of India which can provide education and health care for all irrespective of whether they are rich or poor. If you give an opportunity to the INDIA bloc, we will build a great nation."

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge described the RSS-BJP combine as "poison" that has "destroyed" the country, and called on all opposition parties to unite to defeat the ruling party.

"There is no level-playing field in this election. PM Modi has dug up the ground and is asking the opposition to play cricket there," he said.

This election is to save democracy, the country and the Constitution, he said. 'INDIA' represented the country's spirit of unity in diversity and exhorted for unity among alliance partners in the nation's interest, he also said.

"We need to unite and only then will we be able to fight the BJP,'' Kharge said, adding, "This election is for saving democracy and the Constitution."

The BJP is raising the slogan of getting 400 seats, but without EVMs, "matchfixing", pressuring media and buying them, they will not be able to reach even 180 seats, Gandhi claimed.

"When pressure is put on umpires and captain, players are bought off and the match is won, it is called match-fixing. We have Lok Sabha polls before us. Who selected the umpires? Before the match started, two players were arrested... Narendra Modi is trying to do match-fixing in these polls," Gandhi said.