Ramlila Maidan now ‘Haldighati of democracy’, says Akhilesh at INDIA bloc rally

Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav on Sunday described Delhi’s Ramlila Maidan as the “Haldighati of democracy”, citing the large turnout at the INDIA bloc’s rally against alleged ‘vote chori’, and asserted that political change was imminent.

Addressing the gathering, Yadav said the BJP-led government at the Centre, which had come to power with the support of Uttar Pradesh, would also be removed from power through the state. He accused the ruling party of manipulating electoral rolls and attempting to undermine the democratic process.

“Those who came to power through UP will be ousted from there. And UP wallahs, who are good at welcoming, are better at giving send-offs,” he said.

The SP chief said the turnout at Ramlila Maidan reflected growing public dissatisfaction and indicated that a political shift could take place at any time.

𝗔𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗴𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝘃𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗱𝗲𝗹𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀

Raising concerns over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, Yadav alleged that the names of a large number of voters had been removed in Uttar Pradesh.

“As this public meeting was being organised at Ramlila Maidan, it was reported that the votes of 1.27 lakh Hindu brethren in Uttar Pradesh had been deleted—which translates to a reduction of 31,000 votes in every assembly constituency,” he claimed.

The figures cited by Yadav could not be independently verified. He alleged that the electoral roll revision exercise was being used to manipulate elections and that the ruling party was attempting to shift responsibility for electoral setbacks onto others.

Referring to the West Bengal Assembly elections, Yadav alleged that the electoral process had been manipulated through the SIR exercise conducted before the polls.

“We, in the INDIA alliance, will not stop,” he said, adding that alleged electoral irregularities had also affected the outcome of the 2022 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections.

“If we were unable to form the government in 2022, it is because of this very theft,” Yadav claimed.

𝗕𝗝𝗣’𝘀 ‘𝗱𝗼𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗲-𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗲’ 𝗽𝗶𝘁𝗰𝗵 𝘁𝗮𝗿𝗴𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗱

Taking a swipe at the BJP over the recent Legislative Council elections, Yadav said voters in Kashi, or Varanasi, had reduced the party’s much-publicised “double-engine” government to a “double zero”.

He also mocked the BJP’s claims of political strength by invoking Angad, a character from the Ramayana known for his immovable foot.

Yadav said those who claimed to stand as firmly as Angad should first consider where they would place their feet, alleging that the ruling party was losing its political ground.

The SP president further accused the BJP of abandoning its promise of making India a “Vishwaguru” and instead concentrating on manipulating electoral rolls.

𝗖𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗽𝗼𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲

Drawing a historical comparison, Yadav described the gathering as the “Haldighati of democracy”, referring to the Battle of Haldighati fought in 1576 between the forces of Maharana Pratap of Mewar and the Mughal Empire.

He said the scale of public participation at the rally demonstrated that people were prepared to defend democracy and resist what he described as attempts to interfere with the electoral process.

The SP chief asserted that the movement for political change would begin in Uttar Pradesh and eventually lead to a change of government at the Centre.

He maintained that the INDIA bloc would continue its campaign against alleged electoral irregularities and would not withdraw its opposition to the SIR exercise.