Two empty chairs for their husbands, Sunita Kejriwal & Kalpana Soren take centre stage

Sunita, in her first appearance on a public platform since the arrest of her husband by the ED on March 21, delivered Kejriwal’s message to the nation from ED custody. It consisted of six guarantees to the country, on behalf of the INDIA bloc, aimed at creating “a new India”.

While Uddhav Thackeray of the Shiv Sena (UBT) called Sunita and Kalpana his sisters, TMC’s Derek O’Brien said he was choosing to acknowledge the two persons for whom chairs had been left vacant on the stage: “We have two empty chairs on the stage. Mr Kejriwal and Mr Soren, you are with us in spirit,” he said.

Kalpana Soren and Sunita Kejriwal at the rally on Sunday. (Express photo: Abhinav Saha)

The stage, on which leaders from across Opposition parties were present, was the subject of some confusion during the event: as leaders began arriving at the venue, a hoarding depicting the AAP convenor behind bars was placed above the INDIA bloc logo near the central podium from which public addresses were to be delivered.

Amid loud pro-Congress, Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi slogans from a section at the venue where NSUI and Congress flags were concentrated, Kejriwal’s hoarding was removed a few minutes later; this was followed by the arrival on stage of Rahul Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.

After being introduced as the “silent force” behind Kejriwal for over three decades by Delhi Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj, Sunita Kejriwal began her address by asking those who had assembled: “Our Prime Minister Modi Ji put my husband in jail. Did the Prime Minister do the right thing? Do you all believe that Kejriwal Ji is a true patriot and honest person? These BJP people are saying that he is in jail, he should resign. Should Arvind Kejriwal Ji resign?”

This was met by a loud “no” from the crowd. A former IRS officer, she called her husband “a lion”, and sought to deliver an assurance that “they” (the authorities) will not be able to keep him behind bars for long.

“Your Arvind Kejriwal is a lion, they will not be able to keep him in jail for long… He lives in the hearts of crores of people because of the bravery and courage with which he is fighting for the country. Many times, I feel that he is someone who was martyred in the freedom struggle in his last life… and in this birth has probably been sent again to fight for Mother India,” she said.

Reading out what she called his message from ED custody, Sunita urged people of the country “to build a new India.”

“India has everything given by God, but why are we still backward, why are our people illiterate, why are they poor? I am in jail, here one gets a lot of time to think… I think for Mother India. Mother India is very sad… is in pain when people do not get two square meals a day due to inflation… when her children do not get a good education, people die without proper treatment,” she said quoting her husband.

“When some leaders give rousing speeches… live a life of luxury, and are engaged in looting the country along with their friends, then Mother India gets very angry… Let us together create a new India… where every person will get enough food, every hand will get work, no one will be unemployed, poor, illiterate. Every child will get a good education… every sick person will get good treatment whether rich or poor,” she said.

Urging the nation to vote for the INDIA bloc, Sunita, after seeking apology for her husband since he had not been able to consult his allies in the Opposition, issued “six guarantees on behalf of the INDIA” bloc – strikingly similar to the AAP’s ‘Delhi Model’ on behalf of her husband.

“If you give a chance to the INDIA alliance… we will together construct a great nation… On behalf of the entire INDIA alliance, I hereby give these six guarantees to the 140 crore people of India… We will ensure that the country gets 24×7 power supply… make electricity absolutely free for the poor… make magnificent government schools… Mohalla clinics in every village and locality, free treatment for every citizen… Farmers will be given proper MSP on all crops according to the Swaminathan Report… ensure that Delhi gets the status of a state,” she said.

“I hope that nobody will have any objections,” she said, adding that these guarantees would be fulfilled in the next five years and that “dictator rule” will not be tolerated in India.

Kalpana Soren, who said the history of India’s tribal population was one rife with long struggles which the community took pride in, accused the BJP-led NDA government of “destroying the guarantees of Baba Ambedkar’s Constitution”.

“The tale of us Adivasis is of long struggles and sacrifices… It has been forged in resistance over centuries, of which all of us are proud… To everyone here, especially Sunita ma’am ji, Johar (salutations)… The sea of people here testifies as a Sankalp Sabha (resolution meeting) to end steps to finish democracy by tyrannical powers,” she said.

The people of the country, she said, were “bigger than any one political party or leader” even as she chose to remind the gathering that it had been two months since her husband was put behind bars, just like Kejriwal.

“The NDA government is destroying all the guarantees of Babasaheb’s Constitution… Who will take the guarantee of those who, one by one, have eroded the Constitutional values of our institutions? … If you want to save your country, your democracy… you will have to make a choice regarding your vote very carefully… Two months ago, on January 31, Hemant Ji was put in jail, Arvind Kejriwal Ji has been in jail for 10 days, charges (against them) have not been proved till this day,” she said.

“You are the Janata Janardan, no one can be stronger than you… You have to show your strength in the days to come. Strengthen the INDIA alliance so much that the tyrannical force facing you gets uprooted…this is the ground of the Ramlila… Lord Ram, even during war, had followed neeti, niyam aur adarsh (policy, rules and ideals)… He had respect for his competitors even after vanquishing them… We need to understand these ideals today, we need your support…Jharkhand jhukega nahin, INDIA jhukega nahin, INDIA rukega nahin (Jharkhand will not bend, INDIA will not bend, INDIA will not step),” she said.