RJD urges BJP-led NDA to Postpone Modi’s Sankalp Rally
Image for representational use only. Image Coutesy: India Tv
Bihar’s opposition party Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) has urged the BJP-led NDA on Thursday to postpone its proposed Sankalp rally – to be addressed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi – on March 3 in Patna, in view of the escalating tensions between India and Pakistan, after the air strikes.
RJD, in a series of tweets, also dared BJP-led NDA to prove its sensitivity by postponing the much-hyped Sankalp rally, as there should not be any political activity in such a situation.
“Tejashwi Yadav has taken a decision to postpone RJD rally in the Jehanabad district, in view of prevailing national security crisis. Now NDA should postpone its Sankalp rally in national interest. All political activities should be avoided,” RJD spokesperson Bhai Virendar said.
RJD said that at a time when the entire country is praying for safe return of a pilot of the Indian Air Force Abhinandan, who was captured by Pakistani Army after his aircraft was shot down, a political rally is not the need of the hour.
Another senior RJD leader and party Rajya Sabha MP Manoj Jha said that all the political parties should not hold election rallies and meetings for at least a fortnight. Political parties should keep away from political activities, particularly for elections, at this moment.
However, BJP leaders are reluctant to say anything. “It is not for me to decide and say anything,” a senior BJP leader, Sanjay Tiger, said in response.
Another senior BJP leader told Newsclick on condition of anonymity that rally is a part of national leadership of the party and rally preparations are in the final stage. “We can’t say anything about it.”
The BJP, along with its two allies JD-U and LJP, plans to make Sankalp rally a mega show of their support base and strength, ahead of upcoming Lok Sabha polls. They have fully geared up to mobilise people. The rally will be a reply to Congress president Rahul Gandhi anti-BJP rally 'Jan Aakansha' that was held on Feb 3 in the state.
The NDA leaders have claimed they have hired 17 trains, and are in the process of hiring another 13 to ferry its supporters to Patna for the Sankalp rally.
The Sankalp rally will be the first joint rally of Narendra Modi and Nitish Kumar since Kumar joined hands with the BJP in July 2017.
Bihar has decided to deploy 4,000 policemen along with hundreds of different intelligence agencies officials during Modi's rally.
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