Rally against Centre’s ordinance today, AAP returns to old grounds – Ramlila Maidan
Security, meanwhile, has been beefed up as part of arrangements for the rally.
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Preparations underway at the venue. Twitter/Gopal Rai AAP Rally at Ramlila Maidan: Returning to the venue that witnessed the birth of his party, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal will lead a rally at Ramlila Maidan on Sunday against what the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has termed the “dictatorial ordinance” on the issue of services promulgated by the Centre last month.
Inviting citizens to attend it in large numbers for the sake of the Constitution — the party has claimed that a lakh people are expected to be a part of the ‘maha rally’ — the AAP convenor accused the BJP-led Centre of “snatching the rights” of not only the people of Delhi, but also attacking democracy through it.
दिल्ली की जनता के अधिकारों को छीनने वाले केंद्र सरकार के तानाशाही अध्यादेश के ख़िलाफ़ कल दिल्ली के लोग रामलीला मैदान में एकजुट होंगे। संविधान और लोकतंत्र को बचाने के लिए हो रही इस महारैली में आप भी ज़रूर आएँ।
— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) June 10, 2023
“Tomorrow the people of Delhi will unite at Ramlila Maidan against the dictatorial ordinance of the central government which has snatched the rights of the people of Delhi. You must also come to this mega rally being organised to save the Constitution and democracy,” the Chief Minister tweeted.
Aam Aadmi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal addressing the Auto Rickshaw drivers mahasabha at Ramlila Maidan in 2014. (Express archive photo)
It was at Ramlila Maidan that the better part of the anti-corruption movement of 2012 played out, with activist Anna Hazare and Kejriwal at its helm. When the AAP was formed in November of that year, Hazare decided to bow out. The AAP went on to contest the Assembly polls in 2013 and formed the government with the support of Congress. Kejriwal, however, resigned within 49 days. In 2015, when the city went to polls again, it came back with a thumping majority, winning 67 out of 70 seats. It also won the elections in 2020.
The event on Sunday will begin at 10 am, and Kejriwal is expected to address the gathering at noon. According to senior party leaders, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann will also be part of the rally.
Follow Live: AAP to hold ‘maha rally’ against Centre’s ordinance at Ramlila Maidan today
“Leaders from other parties have not been invited. This is an all-AAP affair. We have been holding door-to-door campaigns to educate people about the ordinance and how it takes away power from their hands, which they gave to AAP, and places it in the hands of an unelected, nominated L-G,” said a party leader.
Kejriwal has met with non-BJP CMs and leaders — including West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee, Telangana CM K Chandrashekar Rao, Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin, Bihar CM Nitish Kumar, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Sharad Pawar — over the past month to gather support against the ordinance in Rajya Sabha.
On Friday, AAP Delhi state convenor and Cabinet Minister Gopal Rai had reviewed preparations for the event, which is being organised to serve as a platform for AAP to oppose the “tyranny” of the Modi government and demand withdrawal of the “anti-Delhi” ordinance. Rai had said a team of AAP volunteers visited 2,000 mandals all over Delhi and a door-to-door campaign had been conducted to ask citizens to participate.
The ordinance was brought in a week after the Supreme Court’s Constitution Bench vested the power to transfer and post officers with the elected government. It led to the formation of a three-member committee, which included the CM and two senior bureaucrats, to take these decisions. The L-G has been given a final veto on matters of transfer and posting.
Security, meanwhile, has been beefed up as part of arrangements for the rally. A senior police officer said 12 companies of paramilitary forces, along with local police, will be managing crowds under CCTV surveillance. Arrangements have also been put in place by Delhi Traffic Police to regulate vehicular movement along with the deployment of fire tenders and ambulances.
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