Modi govt past its expiry date, says Mamata Banerjee, hosts mega opposition rally
Hindustan TimesMamata Banerjee, West Bengal Chief Minister, took over as master of ceremonies at a mega rally of opposition leaders at Kolkata’s massive brigade ground, where lakhs gathered to hear them speak. The speeches were dominated by attacks on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the ruling BJP, which has dismissed the opposition show of strength as an “anti-Modi stunt.” Mamata ended her speech with “BJP hatao, desh bachao and Jai Hindh, Vande mataram” chant. Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal of the Aam Aadmi Party said the BJP must be “defeated at any cost in 2019,” while the Congress’s Abhishek Manu Singhvi warned against allowing a division of votes, also saying, “A rainbow of 22 parties is replacing dark clouds.” “Send Modi home, save the country,” said 12th speaker M K Stalin of the DMK, speaking in Tamil. “Modi has realised that defeat is certain,” he said, also adding that he has “no personal animosity against Modi, but oppose his policies.” Stalin accused PM Modi of converting “the country into a private limited company of which he is the MD.” Watch: India is facing big challenge after 70 years, says Farooq Abdullah Stalin invoked poet Rabindra Nath Tagore; Hardik Patel talked about Subhash Chandra Bose. Read: ‘Testing times for democracy’: Opposition slams NDA govt at Mamata rally Among other leaders on stage are former prime minister and Janata Dal-Secular chief H D Deve Gowda and is son and Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumarasway, former Maharashtra CM and ex-Union minister Sharad Pawar and former Arunachal Pradesh CM Gegong Apang and Omar Abdullah of the National Conference Party and his father Farooq Abdullah.