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At 'Jan Akrosh Rally' in Delhi, Sonia, Rahul, Manmohan attacks Modi govt; Amit Shah calls it 'Parivar Akrosh Rally'

By FnF Correspondent | PUBLISHED: 29, Apr 2018, 12:21 pm IST | UPDATED: 29, Apr 2018, 15:20 pm IST

At 'Jan Akrosh Rally' in Delhi, Sonia, Rahul, Manmohan attacks Modi govt; Amit Shah calls it 'Parivar Akrosh Rally'   New Delhi: Congress President Rahul Gandhi, sounding the poll bugle for the 2019 general elections, on Sunday attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his continued silence over issues related to corruption, women safety, bank loan frauds and foreign ammunition deals during a ‘Jan Aakrosh rally’ in New Delhi’s Ramlila Maidan.

The rally, Gandhi’s first in Delhi as party president, was organised by the Congress to corner the BJP just weeks before the Karnataka elections. Gandhi said, “The Congress will win every election from now on and will also emerge victorious in 2019.”

Slamming PM Modi for failing to deliver on his promises made in the 2014 election campaign, Rahul Gandhi said, “When PM Modi speaks, people have to search hard for shreds of truth within his speeches.” Targetting power minister Piyush Goyal over charges of corruption, Gandhi said, “Union Minister Piyush Goyal makes dubious business deals benefitting companies linked to him through his position. However, PM Modi doesn’t utter a single word on this.” He also raised last year’s Doklam standoff with China in his speech. “Modi ji did not speak a single word on Doklam during his visit to China. What kind of prime minister is he,” asked Gandhi at the rally.

Sharpening his attack against PM Modi, Gandhi also raised the recent rapes in Kathua and Unnao and the alleged crisis in the higher judiciary. “Under PM Modi, for the first time in the history of our country, Supreme Court judges have had to reach out to people for justice. For the first time an Indian prime minister was asked on foreign soil to safeguard the women of this country.”

Gandhi added that the BJP-RSS combine only spread hatred and fear among the people, while it is the Congress which spreads love and peace. “Their machinery and Modi ji spread lies about Congress, its workers and leadership, now he is being exposed because we have worked to unite this country in last 70 years, unlike the BJP.” he said.

Referring to the recent flight scare where a technical snag forced the aircraft in which he was travelling in to drop 8000 feet mid-air, he said, “When plane started dropping, at that moment I thought that I have to go to Kailash Mansarovar.” He said he will visit Mansarowar following the Karnataka Assembly elections.

‘Jan Aakrosh’ rally Highlights

Speaking at the rally, former Congress president Sonia Gandhi urged people to mobilise under the leadership of Rahul Gandhi. She said, “It is saddening to see that our society is suffering from unprecedented violence and hatred today. People from every section of society are suffering. The nation is going through turbulent times under PM Modi. Our country is going through a difficult time. We must all unite and stay alert to fight against this regime.”

Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who was one of the speakers, called the Modi govt “anti-farmer”. He said, “The Modi Government’s anti-farmer policies have resulted in an unprecedented agrarian distress in the country. Our farmers are demanding justice from the Modi Government. Unemployment is on the rise and the youth of the country are distressed. Students taking loans for education are wondering how they will repay these loans if they do not get jobs.” Singh also targetted the government over the rise in oil prices despite the drop in the international markets. Referring to the recent washout of the Budget session in Parliament, Singh said that the constitutional institutions are under attack, and  Parliament is not being allowed to function and the legislation is being bulldozed. “Our democracy is in danger,” he added.

Launching Congress’s campaign for 2019 Lok Sabha elections, party president Rahul Gandhi is all set to address a rally in New Delhi on Sunday, making it his first public address in the national capital after taking over the top post.

Over 30,000 Congress workers are expected to attend the national-level ‘Jan Aakrosh Rally’, which will be held at Ramlila Maidan. Gandhi is likely to use the platform to attack PM Modi and BJP government at the Centre over its "unfulfilled promises and divisive politics".

A day before the rally, the Congress president took to social media to request women, youths, Dalits and farmers to assemble at the ground and express their anger over the unfulfilled promised of the government.

Lashing out at Modi government, the party supremo said, "In these four years of Modi rule, youth have been denied employment, women have been denied security, farmers haven't got fair prices, and no rights for Dalits and minorities."

"Four years ago, people believed you. Now, they see through your lies. Your silence is also an answer which the nation has heard and rejected. But this anger has now been channelized," the Congress said in an article on its website.

The no-confidence motion which the Opposition wanted to bring about in the Parliament was suppressed," said former prime minister Manmohan Singh.

"Democracy is a gift of the Constitution. We will have to work together to protect it," Singh said.

"Everyone is suffering under this government," said former Congress president Sonia Gandhi.

"I am convinced that your voice will bring about change in the country," she said.

At the national-level "Jan Akrosh Rally" which comes ahead of the crucial Karnataka elections on May 12, Gandhi is expected to attack the BJP government at the Centre over its "unfulfilled promises and divisive politics". Gandhi would seek to give voice to public anger over misgovernance, corruption, unemployment, economic situation, crimes against women, attacks on Dalits and the Judiciary, and social unrest.

The rally is expected to be addressed by top Congress leaders including Sonia Gandhi, former prime minister Manmohan Singh and others. A day ahead of the rally, Rahul, yesterday said on Twitter, "In the four years of the Modi government, youths haven't got jobs, women haven't got security, farmers failed to get a fair price for their crops, and Dalits and minorities their rights." He appealed to people to join the rally to express their discontent and anger.

 “There is anger among all sections of society, the poor, the elderly, the youth, farmers, women... Hence the name ‘Jan Akrosh Rally',” AICC General Secretary Ashok Gehlot told reporters.

He said Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi and Manmohan Singh would address the Congressmen and urge them to unite to oust the BJP, "which is causing social unrest and dividing society". Congress's communication in-charge Randeep Surjewala said a clarion call would be given to root out the BJP from Karnataka. The rally would ensure a "decisive victory for the Congress in the ensuing assembly elections in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Mizoram, and many others. It will culminate in uprooting the misrule of Modi ji in 2019.

“The battle will start tomorrow ... A new revolution will start tomorrow ... To fight for people... Congressmen and women will fan out in every nook and corner of the country to spread this message,” he said.

Large number of Congress party workers from Delhi, NCR, Haryana, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh have gathered at the Ram Lila Maidan.

The members from Congress' frontal organisations like Youth Congress, NSUI, Women's Congress, Seva Dal, SC/ST cell and others are at the Ramlila Maidan with placards and banners.

Apart from Sonia Gandhi and Manmohan Singh, all State Presidents, CLP Leaders, Chief Ministers, former Chief Ministers, Leader of Opposition, Leader in Lok Sabha and all other leaders, including Members of Parliament, many Legislators, are expected to attend the rally.

Congress's communication in-charge Randeep Surjewala said a clarion call would be given to root out the BJP from Karnataka.

The rally would ensure a "decisive victory for the Congress in the ensuing assembly elections in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Mizoram, and many others. It will culminate in uprooting the misrule of Modi ji in 2019."

Surejewala said that "India is outraged today on account of the corruption" and listed out the issues likely to be given voice at the rally.

"Bank scams, the Rafale scams, the Cabinet Ministers scam, the rampant unemployment, the way trade and businesses are going down by the day on a nose dive, the way unemployed youth are looking for job every day and not succeeding. For instead of producing 8.25 crore jobs, PM has not been able to give even 8 lakh jobs," said Surjewala.

According to Surejewala this rally would be an expression of outrage as there was "hatred and division under Modi rule."

"There is outrage because there is rampant attack and the atrocities on Dalits and Adivasis and backwards, outrage because the businesses are failing instead of flourishing, outrage because the last vestige of common man looks up to, India’s judiciary is under a multi-pronged attack and I think all these need to be amplified," said the Congress's communication in-charge.

Elaborate arrangements have been made to accommodate Congress workers from all across the country who have left their respective states a couple of days ago itself to be able make it to Ramlila Maidan for the ‘Jan Aakrosh Rally’.

Meanwhile, in a series of tweets, BJP President Amit Shah slammed the Grand Old Party for holding the rally. “A dynasty and their courtiers, who were sent out of state after state by ‘Jan Aadesh’ now pretend to represent ‘Jan Akrosh.’ Today’s Congress rally is nothing but a ‘Parivar Akrosh Rally’ which highlights their increasing irrelevance,” he tweeted. “I also hope the Congress president apologizes to the nation for the party’s efforts to trample over every possible institution in the country just because of their power-hungry nature. The country is tired of these negative and arm-twisting tactics of the Congress,” he added.
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