2019 Lok Sabha polls will be India's second freedom struggle: MK Stalin at United India Rally

Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) president MK Stalin on Monday equated the country’s situation under the Narendra Modi government with British rule and said that the 2019 Lok Sabha elections will be India’s second freedom struggle. Speaking at West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s massive ‘United India Rally’, the Stalin said, “The upcoming general elections in May will be the second freedom struggle of the country."

The DMK president said that the prime minister was afraid of the Opposition unity, asserting that coming together of opposition parties was must to safeguard the nation. "Wherever PM Modi is going he is fiercely attacking the Opposition, Modi is fearful of Opposition and that is why he is also cursing us, he is afraid of our unity, we must come together to safeguard India,” Stalin said.

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Tens of thousands of people gathered at Kolkata’s Brigade Parade Ground to attend the massive Opposition rally called by Banerjee. The rally is aimed at uniting the Opposition parties against the BJP for the Lok Sabha elections 2019.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, National Conference leader Omar Abdullah, Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav are among the top Opposition leaders who attended the party.

Addressing the rally, NC Leader Farooq Abdullah accused the Narendra Modi government of dividing the people based on their religion and emphasised the need of Opposition unity to defeat the divisive forces. "The BJP is dividing people on the basis of religion. We must all come together to defeat the divisive forces," Abdullah said.

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Experts believe the "United India Rally” will project Banerjee as a major political force to reckon with against the ruling BJP. The rally, where the leaders of most Opposition parties will be present, is seen as the endorsement of West Bengal CM as Opposition’s PM candidate against BJP’s Narendra Modi in 2019.