State Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party’s rally staged against the State Government has proved a damp squib with the common people choosing to stay away. The focus of the rally was trained on the Congress Government’s failure on all fronts, including law and order and illegal mining aside from the State Government’s perceived partisan treatment vis-à-vis the areas where BJP has MlAs. Despite the BJP leaders flaunting it as big one, the truth on the ground is that save for a handful of party MlAs and leaders, the common people were conspicuous by their absence.
Haridwar MlA Madan Kaushik was heard asking the speakers to cut short their speeches as they would attend another meeting at 2 pm. It seems, the BJP leaders had not taken pains to connect the people to the rally. The issues have worn out being squeezed many times. “It is clear that the rally has been called to show the party’s national president Amit Shah that they are acting on his directive to raise the common man’s issues from time to time,” said an observer. Contrasting the thin attendance, the police presence was formidable. The people got amused with so many cops being in top gear to tackle what turned out to be a low key, lack-lustre show.