“Amit Shahji said Narendra Modi is not going anywhere. I am telling you the opposite: Narendra Modi cannot go anywhere. Even if he wants to leave, we will not let him go. After Gyanesh Kumar, we are going to stand right in front of you. Legal action will be taken against Modi and Shah,” Gandhi said at an impressive rally at a ground with an official capacity of 50,000. He also reiterated that Kumar would have to quit and go to jail. He alleged that the 2024 Lok Sabha polls were “illegal”, given that “13.5 crore voters” have been deleted since then from the rolls via SIR.
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav used the rally to sound the bugle for the UP assembly elections, taking a dig at the “double-engine BJP sarkar” over its “double-zero defeats” in Varanasi against SP in the recent MLC polls. He alleged “even the state BJP, fearing defeat, is now talking about 1.27 crore instances of ‘vote chori’ in UP to shift blame to Delhi”.
In a show of unity, INDIA bloc leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi, KC Venugopal (Congress), Akhilesh Yadav (SP), Mamata Banerjee and Abhishek Banerjee (AITC-M), Tejashwi Yadav (RJD), Farooq Abdullah (NC), Mehbooba Mufti (PDP), Sanjay Raut (SS-UBT), Supriya Sule (NCP-SP), MA Baby, D Raja and Dipankar Bhattacharyya (Left), arrived at the rally venue in an open vehicle from Rajaji Marg via Minto Road to Ramlila Maidan. Party workers accompanied them on foot, turning the journey into a boisterous march. Sonia Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge joined the leaders on the stage.
Accusing the BJP government of spreading hatred and handing over the country’s assets to two industrialists, Gandhi said the Opposition stood for unity and the welfare of all. “Anyone can join ‘Shiv ki Baraat’. We want that kind of India. If a farmer works hard, he should reap the rewards. If a student studies for 18 hours, they should get employment. We do not want a country that belongs only to two or three people,” he said.
Akhilesh said if BJP had come to power at the Centre through UP, it was now time for the party to take the exit route. Mamata said, “Bengal is the victim of SIR, and we will fight it out.” Kharge said, “Modi should be removed to save democracy.”
