Call for 'mukhya gathbandhan' at INLD rally in Fatehabad

Tribune News Service

Deepender Deswal

Fatehabad, September 25

The INLD rally marked the beginning of opposition unity at the national level on the occasion of “Samman Diwas Rally”, organised to mark the birth anniversary of late Deputy Prime Minister Devi Lal, in Fatehabad today.

Promises by Chautala

• Construction of SYL canal in a year after INLD comes to power in Haryana
• e-NAM trading system to be abolished
• Old-age pension to be hiked to Rs 10K per month
• Unemployed educated youth to get Rs 21,000 as allowance
• Memorial to farmers who died during agitation
• To push for legal guarantee for minimum support price

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, NCP supremo Sharad Pawar, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, CPM leader Sitaram Yechury, SAD leader Sukhbir Badal, Shiv Sena leader Arvind Sawant and leaders from regional parties of Tripura and Mizoram attended the rally. The leaders said they needed to stay united to defeat the current regime. However, some prominent leaders, including Mamata Banerjee, Akhilesh Yadav and Farooq Abdullah, failed to turn up.

Nitish said there was a need to form the “mukhya gathbandhan” (main alliance), including the Congress, Left forces and regional parties, to defeat the current regime in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. He said if they were able to stand united, the BJP-led government would be thrown out of power. “You know what is happening in the country today. Every institution, including the media, is under control. Only one-sided views are being aired in the media. Moreover, they want to create divide between Hindus and Muslims,” he said.

“All kinds of parties should get together in this process. It should not be a third front, but the ‘mukhya gathbandhan’. This alliance should have Left parties and we have also requested the Congress to come along with us,” he said. He urged INLD supremo Om Prakash Chautala to work for the opposition’s unity.

The INLD, which is struggling to revive its political fortunes in Haryana after a split in 2018 reduced its strength to just one MLA in the Assembly, seems to have gotten a fresh lease of life, with this well-attended rally.

NCP leader Pawar alleged that anti-farmer powers were ruling the country, which need to be overthrown in the next poll. “We should take a pledge to stay united,” he said.

CPM’s Yechury drew a mythological parallel between the rule of demons and the BJP regime.

RJD’s Tejashwi said Nitish had put the last nail in the coffin of the BJP regime.

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#Sutlej Yamuna Link canal SYL