‘Opposition unity in Haryana’s mega rally to stop BJP juggernaut’

Several top opposition leaders, including Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar, NCP chief Sharad Pawar, CPI(M)’s Sitaram Yechury and Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal, congregated for a grand rally of the INLD organised in Haryana’s Fatehabad on Sunday. The rally was organized to mark former deputy prime minister Devi Lal’s birth anniversary.

On the occasion, Bihar CM made an impassioned appeal to the opposition parties to come together shedding petty differences to stop the BJP from coming to power, reiterating his call for ‘one front’ that includes the Congress and Left parties must take on the saffron party. “If all non-BJP parties unite, then they can get rid of those who are working to destroy the country,” he said. He accused the BJP of trying to create “Hindu-Muslim disturbances” in society to benefit politically. “There is no question of a Third Front. There should be one front including Congress, then we can defeat BJP in 2024,” he added, underscoring that an opposition front cannot be envisaged without the Congress and the Left parties. Hitting out at BJP, he said no real work is happening and accused the Narendra Modi government of imposing its control over different institutions, including the media, to peddle a “one-sided” narrative.

On the other hand, Bihar deputy CM and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav and Arvind Sawant of the Shiv Sena also attended the rally being held in a show of opposition unity. He said the JD(U), SAD and the Shiv Sena left the BJP-led NDA to save the Constitution and democracy. He also accused the BJP of making false claims and promises and dubbed the party as “Badka Jhuta Party” (party of big lies), reported The Wire.

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar said the time has come for everyone to work together to ensure a change of government at the Centre in 2024.

Badal said the INLD and SAD are real brothers, adding the rights of farmers’ can be saved by the leaders present at the rally, as he called all the parties to unite to uproot the BJP.

According to a Wire report, Badal was quoted as saying: “The real NDA is sitting here, it was founded by Shiv Sena, Akali Dal and JD(U). We stood by the BJP when it was a relatively smaller party. But now it is time to forge an alliance for farmers and labourers.”

Nitish and RJD president Lalu Prasad are likely to meet Congress president Sonia Gandhi today. – INDIA NEWS STREAM