This story is from February 14, 2019

Delhi: AAP volunteers see hint of 2011 movement

Delhi: AAP volunteers see hint of 2011 movement
The crowds arrived at Jantar Mantar in buses and held placards saying the Centre was fascist
NEW DELHI: The “Remove Dictatorship, Save Democracy” rally organised by Aam Aadmi Party at Jantar Mantar on Wednesday not only saw members of various opposition parties but also a large number of women turning up to listen to solution to their problems provided by the leaders on the podium.
To make the rally a success, AAP had mobilised its frontal organisations and supporters from various assembly constituencies.
The crowds arrived in buses at the venue and held placards with slogans saying the central government was fascist and it should be overthrown through the democratic process.
“I left my grocery shop in the hands of my wife to come here,” said Mukesh Gupta, an AAP supporter from Wazirpur, who remained attentive to the speeches of the leaders throughout the rally.
For Rehana Ansari, an AAP worker from Seelampur, Jantar Mantar reminded her of the 2011 anti-corruption movement that she claimed went on to oust the UPA government from the Centre. She got nostalgic with the loudspeakers, the placards and the enthusiasm of supporters.
The large LED screens showing images of leaders from different parties, including Congress, made many in the audience feel that together the opposition parties would pose a stiff challenge to BJP. “If the opposition parties contest together in states where they are strong, they will be a huge challenge to BJP,” said Mohan Singh from Badarpur. Others, however, were sceptical that the opposition parties would remain united till the Lok Sabha elections.

Though many in the audience found the speeches of some leaders boring and dull, the crowd got dozes of enthusiasm when well-known faces arrived at the venue.
Dozens in the audience donning AAP caps got enthusiastic when West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee arrived on stage. Later, some of them divulged that though they were wearing AAP caps, they were not party workers. “Around 350 people from Kolkata have come to attend the rally. We are TMC supporters,” said Dinbandhu Seal from Kolkata.
A couple of women who were leaving the rally early said that they had to do household chores and could not stay there any longer. Unable to get food, some left the venue to attend a small protest march by a Muslim outfit that was offering biryani to its supporters.
H S Sharma, another person at the rally, was seen walking with several placards hanging from his neck giving details of all the corruption cases the country has witnessed since Independence. “I want to make the youth aware of the scams that have occurred in the past,” he said.
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