New Delhi: The leaders of the INDIA bloc gathered at Delhi’s Ramlila Maidan on Sunday to demonstrate solidarity and protest against the arrest of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. Kejriwal was arrested by the ED on March 21 in a money laundering case associated with the Delhi excise policy scam.
Quoting Arvind Kejriwal’s message from jail, Sunita Kejriwal says, “I am not asking for votes today… I invite 140 crore Indians to make a new India… India is a great nation with thousands of years old civilisation… I think about Mother India from inside the jail and she is in pain… Let’s make a new India… If INDIA Alliance is given an opportunity, we will build a new India”
“I present 6 guarantees on behalf of INDIA Alliance. First, there will be no power cuts in the whole country. Second, electricity would be free for the poor people. Third, we will make government schools in every village. Fourth, we will make Mohalla Clinics in every village. We will make a multi-speciality government hospital in every district. Everyone would get free treatment. Fifth, farmers would be given the correct price for the crops. Sixth, the people of Delhi have faced injustice for 75 years… We will give statehood to Delhi… We will complete these 6 guarantees in 5 years. I have made all the planning from where the money for these guarantees will come,” she added quoting CM Kejriwal message.
TOP UPDATES:
- Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann, former Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray, Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal’s wife Sunita Kejriwal and other INDIA alliance leaders present at the rally in the national capital.
- Speaking at the Maha Rally at the Ramlila Maidan, Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal’s wife Sunita Kejriwal says, “Your own Kejriwal has sent a message for you from jail. Before reading this message, I would like to ask you something. Our Prime Minister Narendra Modi put my husband in jail, did the Prime Minister do the right thing? Do you believe that Kejriwal Ji is a true patriot and honest person? These BJP people are saying that Kejriwal ji is in jail, he should resign. Should he resign? Your Kejriwal is a lion, they will not be able to keep him in jail for long…”
- Former Maharashtra CM and Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray says, “Now, their (BJP’s) dream is of crossing 400 (seats)… It is time that one party and one person’s government have to go… We are not here for the election campaign, we are here to protect democracy… BJP washed the people who they once alleged of corruption. They washed them in a washing machine and made them clean. How can a party full of corrupts run the government?… The BJP is calling this rally, a rally of thugs…
- At the Maha Rally, AAP Minister Gopal Rai says, “Protests have erupted in the whole country after March 21. No one is able to understand why a sitting CM has been arrested. But it is not just Arvind Kejriwal. Before arresting the Delhi CM, Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren was arrested… With the misuse of the ED and CBI, democracy is under attack…”
- Upon reaching Delhi to attend the INDIA Alliance Maha Rally at the Ramlila Maidan, SP Chief Akhilesh Yadav says, “BJP’s concern is that it is going (from power)… It is a new invention that ED, CBI and IT are deployed and donation is raised… No one in the universe has lied as much as the BJP… The BJP is being criticised all over the world after Arvind Kejriwal’s arrest…”
- On security arrangements for the INDIA Alliance Maha Rally, DCP Central M Harshvardhan said, “To maintain law and order and to ensure smooth traffic movement, elaborate arrangements have been made. The organisers of the rally have given an undertaking to adhere to some terms and conditions that are essential to maintaining law and order. The time for the rally is permitted until 2 p.m. We have made sufficient deployments. The gathering is expected to be 20,000 as given by the organiser in the undertaking.”
- Earlier, AAP Minister Gopal Rai said that the leaders of INDIA Alliance will come from all over India to attend the ‘Maha Rally’ at the Ramlila Maidan on Sunday.
- Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi from Congress, Sharad Pawar, Uddhav Thackeray will come from Maharashtra, Akhilesh Yadav from Uttar Pradesh, Tejashwi Yadav from Bihar, Derek O’ Brien from West Bengal, DMK MP, Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann, Jharkhand CM Champai Soren and Kalpana Soren will also join him, Farooq Abdullah will come, and leaders of left parties will join.
