Opposition leaders, including Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi and rebel veteran JD(U) leader Sharad Yadav, on Thursday hit out at the Modi Government for not being able to keep its promises.
Attacking Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Rahul said Modi wanted to create a 'Swachch Bharat' but people wanted a 'Sach Bharat' while its parent organisation RSS was hell bent in changing the country's constitution.
Yadav compared the present BJP rule with that of the Hitler. Speaking at the 'Sanjhi Virasat Bachao' event organsied by Yadav himself and attended by former PM Manmohan Singh too, the Rajay Sabha leader said Modi will have to bow down in front of the people of India. "Hindustan aur vishwa ki janta jab khaddi hoti hai toh koi Hitler bhi usse jeet nahi sakta. (When people of India and world stand together, then even Hitler cannot win)," said Yadav.
More than a dozen opposition parties joined hands to call for a united fight against the BJP. The platform for opposition unity was the 'Sanjhi Virasat Bachao' (save our composite culture) meeting hosted by Sharad Yadav and attended by a host of leaders, including those from the Congress, CPI-M, CPI, SP, BSP, NCP, RJD, NC, JD-S and RlD. CPI(M)'s Sitaram Yechury, CPI's D Raja and National Conference's Farooq Abdullah were present.
Rahul stressed on the need for unity in the fight against the BJP and the RSS. "If we all fight unitedly, I can tell you they will not be seen anywhere," he said.
Sharad Yadav, who has parted ways with his old-time colleague, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, amid speculation that the JD-U would split, echoed the Congress V-P. If people united, "even a Hitler" cannot stand before them, said Yadav, who appeared to emerge as a rallying point for the opposition with leaders collectively endorsing his call for preserving India's composite culture.
Rahul Gandhi also accused the BJP of not fulfilling the promises made to the people during the 2014 general elections, including bringing back black money stashed abroad and creating jobs for youth. Alleging that the RSS knew that its views would not help them win elections, he said it was trying to plant its people in every institution.
"Till the time RSS did not rule India, they never saluted the national flag... You can look at this nation in two ways. One says this country is mine, other says I belong to the country. That's the difference between RSS and us," he said.
Referring to the theme of the meeting, Yechury said several Hindu and Muslims leaders fought against the British but "this composite heritage is being threatened now". Calling for a joint fight against "divisive and communal" forces, he said more Muslims chose to stay back in India than go to Pakistan after partition.But this composite culture is now being tampered with to convert India into a "Hindu Rashtra", Yechury alleged. Yechury said Yadav held the key to saving India's syncretic culture.
"We are with Sharad Yadav. If we have to save this composite culture, Sharad ji will hold the key to the movement to save it. He will have to complete the task," he said. "The prime minister talks about not repeating Indira Gandhi's Emergency. But what is he doingIJ" he asked, while noting that Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar's recorded Independence Day speech was blocked by public broadcasters Doordarshan and All India Radio. We will fight against the policies destroying diversity," Yechury added.
Congress leader Ahmed Patel, who was recently elected to the Rajya Sabha from Gujarat, also backed Yadav. "I urge Sharad ji to prepare an action plan... We will go to every nook and corner of the country and warn people that we will not be able to save the country, democracy, humanity if we do not save our composite culture, heritage. We require this to defeat these forces in 2019. All of you will need to cooperate on this issue," he said.
leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad said Yadav was the "real JD-U" and noted that he had declined a cabinet berth and chosen the path of secularism.
National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah also launched a scathing attack on the state of affairs in the country but did not name anybody. "India can face China and Pakistan but unfortunately today the threat is from inside not from outside."
Talking about Kashmir and Kashmiris, he said some people were trying to question their nationality. "Who are they to ask us about our nationalityIJ We Kashmiris chose India over Pakistan during Partition because India guarantees equality. And I say it with pride that I am an Indian Muslim," he said.