look news india
The historic Ramlila Maidan of the national capital Delhi is emerging as the biggest political center of the country today. In view of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections and in protest against the alleged actions of the central investigative agencies on the opposition leaders, the opposition alliance ‘INDIA’ (Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance) has organized its mega rally in the capital on Sunday. This rally, organized at the peak of election activity, is being considered as a joint show of strength by the key leaders of the alliance. Considering the sensitivity of the venue and its surroundings, the administration has made unprecedented security arrangements. Since morning, thousands of workers from Delhi and surrounding states have been moving towards Ramlila Maidan.
Political analysts believe that this rally is not just an ordinary political gathering, but a decisive platform to show the unity of the opposition parties on burning issues like the policies of the central government, use of agencies and electoral bonds. This is the first such joint rally being organized in the capital after the arrest of Aam Aadmi Party convenor and Delhi Chief Minister, in which senior leaders of more than two dozen opposition parties including Congress, SP, Trinamool Congress, DMK, RJD and Left parties are sharing a platform together.
Delhi Police and central security agencies are on full alert mode regarding the rally. Implementing stringent security standards, the entire Ramlila Maidan and sensitive areas of Central Delhi have been converted into a security cantonment. More than 4,000 Delhi Police personnel have been deployed to maintain security in and around the ground. Apart from this, several companies of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF), including Rapid Action Force (RAF) and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel, are manning important strategic posts.
Modern metal detector door frames have been installed at all main entrances to the grounds. Every person entering the venue is being checked with intensive hand held metal detectors. A temporary high-tech control room has been set up to keep an eye on any unwanted activity inside and outside the event premises, where live monitoring is being done round the clock through dozens of closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras. Security officials said that the arrangements have been made such that law and order does not get disturbed during the rally and common citizens also have to face minimum inconvenience.
Arrangements have been made for many top opposition leaders to sit on the main stage of Ramlila Maidan. According to the information received, Congress Parliamentary Party chief Sonia Gandhi, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, MP Rahul Gandhi, Samajwadi Party National President Akhilesh Yadav, former Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar Tejashwi Yadav, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray, NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) chief Sharad Pawar and National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah are among the main speakers of this rally.
Along with this, the presence of Sunita Kejriwal from Aam Aadmi Party and Kalpana Soren, wife of former Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren, is also making this event special. Both of them will use the platform to convey the message of their jailed husbands to the public. The participation of other senior leaders of regional parties like Sitaram Yechury, D. Raja and representatives of Trinamool Congress on the stage is an attempt to underline that despite all the regional complexities of seat sharing, the opposition faction is completely united at the national level.
Due to its location near Ajmeri Gate and New Delhi Railway Station, the busiest center of the capital, the rally at Ramlila Maidan is having a direct impact on the traffic system of Delhi. Delhi Traffic Police has already issued a detailed traffic advisory for the convenience of the general public. Strict restrictions have been imposed on the entry of heavy and medium vehicles around Ranjit Singh Flyover, Minto Road, Kamla Market Square, Delhi Gate, Ajmeri Gate, JLN Marg and Chaman Lal Marg.
The traffic police has advised commuters heading towards New Delhi Railway Station, Old Delhi Railway Station and ISBT to leave home with sufficient time and use alternative routes. Delhi Metro services are running normally, however, additional CISF and Delhi Police forces have been deployed at New Delhi, Chawri Bazar and Delhi Gate metro stations for smooth crowd management. Special arrangements have been made for parking behind Mata Sundari College near Ramlila Maidan and near Shanti Van.
This mega rally is taking place at a time when the country is standing on the threshold of general elections. The main message of the INDIA alliance is centered around ‘Save Democracy’ and ‘Save the Constitution’. Opposition leaders allege that central investigative agencies are being misused and restrictions are being imposed on the bank accounts of political parties to suppress key opposition voices just before the elections. From the platform, the Central Government is being directly put in the dock on the issues of unemployment, inflation, legal guarantee of Minimum Support Price (MSP) for farmers and alleged irregularities in election donations.
On the other hand, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has hit back by terming the rally as ‘Save Corruption Rally’. BJP spokespersons say that the parties which are facing each other in the electoral fray are only pretending to come together on one platform to avoid the action of the investigating agencies. Amidst this political tension, the eyes of the whole country are fixed on which way this huge gathering at Ramlila Maidan will turn the direction of the election wind.