Ranchi: Leaders of the INDIA bloc on Sunday exhorted the electorate to show exit door to BJP and autocratic forces all out to terrorise opposition leaders in the elections to “save constitution and democracy”.

In a mega show of strength at the ‘Ulgulan Nyay Mahrally’ in Ranchi, leaders of about 28 parties condemned the arrest of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and former Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren and attacked the saffron party for allegedly unleashing all central forces like ED and CBI to harass opposition-ruled states.

The BJP on the other hand took a swipe at the INDIA bloc over a scuffle during the opposition grouping’s rally, calling it a display of ‘Jungle Raj’ and a “congregation of most corrupt leaders.” Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge hit out at the BJP-led Centre for trying to “terrorise” Hemant Soren, and asserted that the JMM leader preferred going to jail rather than parting ways with the INDIA bloc.

Kharge also attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi, alleging that he insulted President Droupadi Murmu and the tribal community by not inviting her to Ram temple consecration and inauguration of the Parliament building.

“The BJP considers tribals as untouchables,” the Congress leader alleged and warned that it will be reduced to 150 to 180 seats in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

He said the opposition would thwart any attempt to destroy the constitution and added that if the PM tried to scare the tribals, he would be destroyed but will never be able to break the INDIA bloc.

Kejriwal’s wife Sunita and Hemant Soren’s wife Kalpana also addressed the gathering, lashing out at the central government over the arrest of their husbands in alleged corruption cases.

Sunita accused the Centre of denying insulin to her diabetic husband.

“They want to kill my husband Arvind Kejriwal. His food is under camera observation; he is denied insulin. My husband is a sugar patient who has been on insulin for the last 12 years; he needs 50 units of insulin daily,” she said at the Ulgulan Nyay Rally.

She claimed that her husband was jailed for working for the people and no charges could be proved against him.

“We will fight against dictatorship and win. The gates of jail will break and Arvind Kejriwal and Hemant Soren will come out,” she said.

Jailed ex-Jharkhand CM’s wife Kalpana Soren alleged the BJP was trying to topple governments in opposition-ruled states and said democracy cannot be allowed to fail.

“Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and my husband Hemant Soren were jailed just before the elections by forces that were hatching conspiracies against their governments,” she said.

Reading out her husband’s message, she said, “Central agencies such as the ED and CBI are being misused to suppress the opposition’s voice but BJP and such forces will be driven out.” Soren was arrested by the ED on January 31 in connection with a money laundering case linked to an alleged land fraud, immediately after his resignation as the chief minister.

RJD leader and former Bihar deputy CM Tejashwi Yadav also accused Modi of spreading lies and said that the BJP-led Centre has given price rise, unemployment and poverty to the people of the country.

He also mocked the saffron party by terming the BJP as ‘Badka Jhootha Party’.

Yadav claimed that the BJP will not return to power at the Centre, if the opposition parties put up a united fight in Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, as these three states account for 134 Lok Sabha seats.

“Modi ji did not fulfil even a single promise. He is a factory, manufacturer, wholesaler and distributor of lies. It is time to show the exit door to the dictator,” the RJD leader alleged.

Lord Ram was also invoked by the leaders, with National Conference president Farooq Abdullah saying that Lord Ram belongs to everyone, not only Hindus.

Without naming any party, he said, “They are selling Lord Ram, claiming that they brought him. They do not know Lord Ram. He does not belong to Hindus alone but to the world. Ram is for everyone. But they have made Ram their own, claiming He is only theirs.” Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh hit out at PM Modi saying he possessed a washing powder that cleans corruption instantly.

Samajwadi Party Chief Akhilesh Yadav said this Ulgulan Rally is to wipe out the BJP which destroyed the nation in the past 10 years.

Priyanka Chaturvedi of Shiv Sena (UBT) alleged that the ED, CBI and I-T are the extended departments of the BJP and they are being used to oppress the governments of opposition parties.

TMC leader Vivek Gupta said that every vote should be used to defeat BJP in the Lok Sabha polls in the country.

CPI(ML) leader Dipankar Bhattacharya said that BJP and RSS wanted to change the name of Jharkhand as Vananchal.

“They could not change the name but spoiled the work in Jharkhand,” he said.

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann said Hemant Soren and Arvind Kejriwal are popular leaders capable of wiping out the saffron party.

Addressing the rally, Jharkhand Chief Minister Champai Soren said the people of the country will give a befitting reply to the BJP.

Two empty chairs – one each for Delhi CM Kejriwal former and former Jharkhand CM Soren – were kept on stage. The ‘Ulgulan Nyay Mahrally’ was organised mainly by the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) and a large number of its workers wore Soren masks.

Meanwhile, the state BJP registered a complaint with the EC against the rally, alleging that the model code of conduct was violated.