Defying Floods, Lakhs of People Attend RJD’s ‘Desh Bachao’ Rally
Newsclick Image by Nitesh Kumar
Ahead of the Lok Sabha elections 2019, in an indication that another Mahagathbandhan (grand alliance) is in the offing, leaders of 18 opposition parties registered their presence in the Rashtriya Janata Dal’s massive ‘BJP Bhagao, Desh Bachao’ (oust BJP, protect the country) rally in Patna, on Sunday.
Despite the devastating floods in around 20 districts of Bihar, thousands gathered in support of the party. The venue – Gandhi Maidan – that has the capacity to accommodate 7 lakh people, was almost half-full.
The RJD rally saw Trinamool Congress chief and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, former Uttar Pradesh’s Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, in attendance with top Congress leaders CP Joshi and Ghulam Nabi Azad. D Raja of the Communist Party of India (CPI), Babulal Marandi of the Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (Prajatantrik), Hemant Soren of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha and Jayant Choudhary of the Rashtriya Lok Dal, were also present. However, Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati and Nationalist Congress Party leader Sharad Pawar did not attend the event.
Though Congress President Sonia Gandhi could not make it to the rally, she addressed the crowd through an audio message. “Those who oppose can never become irrelevant,” she said. Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi, through his written address, urged the “political parties of the same ideology to come together”.
RJD supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav, whose entire family was present on the stage, said he and his family are not scared of “false cases”. The former Bihar’s chief minister, his son – Tejaswi Yadav - and daughter – Misa Bharti – are currently being probed by the Enforcement Directorate for allegedly having disproportionate assets.
Lalu and his squad largely attacked the Janata Dal (United) chief and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who recently walked the alliance with the RJD and the Congress. He formed his own government in the state, with the support of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Lalu’s elder son and ex-minister, Tej Pratap Yadav addressed the rally in his father style, causing people to erupt in laughter. He blew a conch to announce a war on Nitish Kumar and BJP and declared his younger brother Tejaswi Yadav as his ‘astra’ (weapon).
“BJP wale to heart fail (If the BJP leaders try to blow this (conch), they may suffer cardiac arrest). Does Nitish Kumar has the power in his lungs to blow the conch?” he said.
He said that he will not sleep till the BJP has been torn apart. He warned the saffron party and the Rashtriya Swayam Sewak Sangh (RSS) against “perpetrating communal violence in the state”.
“Mother India has four sons – Hindu, Muslim, Sikh and Christians. We will fight against whoever that tries to promote communal violence,” he said.
Taking potshots at RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, he said that “He wears half pants because he has half a mind”.
Tejaswi Yadav, who is now Leader of Opposition in the Bihar Assembly, told the rally, “Uncle Nitish had once talked about a Sangh- Bharat (RSS-free India), but now he is back to the business of Sangh- Bharat (India with RSS). Aisa saga hai, Nitish hai (There is not even a single person whom Nitish Kumar has not betrayed).”
He asked voters to “correct the mistakes” they had “committed in 2014.”
Rebel JD(U) leader Sharad Yadav, who may be expelled from the party for defying of not to attend the anti-BJP rally, was greeted warmly by Lalu Prasad Yadav on the .
Without naming Kumar, the veteran leader said that the man who was once his “shadow” would be punished for breaking the alliance in the state.
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