As the INDIA Bloc gathered on Sunday at Delhi’s historic Ramlila Maidan in a show of Opposition’s strength ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of “match-fixing” in the polls and asserted that if the BJP succeeds in its endeavours, the country’s Constitution will be changed and people’s rights taken away.

Congress’s Priyanka Gandhi Vadra listed five demands of the Opposition to the Election Commission that included the provision of a level playing field before the elections. Among its five demands was also the release of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and former Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren. The alliance also demanded a Supreme Court-monitored Special Investigation Team to investigate what they called the BJP’s “extortion” of funds through the electoral bonds scheme.

Rahul made the analogy of the ongoing IPL cricket matches while addressing the public during the “Loktantra Bachao (Save Democracy)” rally. “IPL matches are being held today. When umpires are pressurised, players are bought and captains are threatened to win matches, it is called match fixing in cricket. We have Lok Sabha polls before us; umpires were chosen by Modi,” Rahul said, addressing the INDIA Bloc’s rally at the Ramlila Maidan.

Referring to the arrests of Kejriwal and Hemant, the Congress leader said, “Two players from our team have been arrested before the match.”

“This election — in which Narendra Modi chose the umpires — this 400-seat slogan of his is not possible without fixing EVMs, pressuring the media and social media,” he added.

Top INDIA Bloc leaders expressed solidarity with arrested Kejriwal and Hemant. They urged people to vote out the BJP in the Lok Sabha polls to “save democracy and the Constitution”.

The leaders who were on the stage at the ‘Loktantra Bachao’ (save democracy) rally included Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, former presidents Sonia Gandhi and Rahul; NCP’s Sharad Yadav, NC leader Farooq Abdullah, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray; Left leaders Sitaram Yechury, D Raja, Dipankar Bhattacharya; Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav; RJD’s Tejashwi Yadav and TMC’s Derek O’Brien.

Kejriwal’s wife Sunita Kejriwal and Hemant’s wife Kalpana Soren also addressed the gathering, castigating the Central Government over the arrest of their husbands in corruption cases. Sunita read out a letter from her husband which she said he sent from the Enforcement Directorate’s custody.

Addressing the rally, the former Congress chief said this is not an ordinary election but one to save the country’s democracy and Constitution.

Rahul said the Congress is the biggest Opposition party and all its accounts have been frozen.  “Two Chief Ministers were arrested. What kind of election is this,” the Congress leader alleged, adding, “the Constitution is the voice of the people and the day it is finished, this country will be finished, he asserted, adding if the Constitution goes, the rights of the poor and reservation will also go”.

“A BJP MP said ‘we will change the Constitution when we get over 400 seats’. It was not said just like that, it was to test the idea,” Rahul  said, referring to Anantkumar Hegde’s remark about amending the Constitution.

“They think the country can be run with the threats and intimidation of police, CBI and ED... You can buy media and suppress them but you cannot suppress the voice of India. No force in this world can suppress this voice of people,” the former Congress chief said.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge described the RSS-BJP combine as “poison” that has “destroyed” the country, and called on all Opposition parties to unite to defeat the ruling party in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

This election is to save democracy, the country and the Constitution, he said. “We need to unite and only then will we be able to fight the BJP. We won’t succeed if we keep attacking and fighting each other,” Kharge said.

Training his guns at Modi, Kharge said, “There is no level-playing field in this election. Modi has dug up the ground and is asking the Opposition to play cricket there.” He said he told BJP chief JP Nadda at a recent meeting that this election is “not fair” as the Congress’ funds have already been “stolen”.

Priyanka read out the demands of the Opposition alliance and said the Election Commission should ensure a level playing field for all parties in Lok Sabha elections. The poll panel should stop the Enforcement Directorate, CBI and the Income Tax department’s actions against Opposition parties being taken to adversely impact the elections, the Congress leader demanded, adding that Hemant and Kejriwal be immediately released. During the elections, action to forcefully scuttle the finances of opposition parties should be immediately stopped, she said, reading out the INDIA Bloc’s demands at the rally. Addressing the rally, Priyanka said despite the BJP creating “undemocratic obstacles”, the INDIA Bloc was committed to fighting, winning, and saving democracy in India.

In her remarks before reading out the INDIA Bloc’s demands, she said, “I have been coming to Ramlila Maidan since childhood. Every year Ravan’s effigy is set on fire. When I was a kid, I used to come (here) with my grandmother Indira and she used to narrate the Ramayana to me. Those in power today call themselves Ram Bhakts. When I was sitting here I thought that I should say something to them. I want to remind them of the 1,000-year-old tale and its message.”

Priyanka said she would like to tell him that the message of Lord Ram’s life is that power is not permanent and arrogance gets shattered.

“When Lord Ram fought for truth, he did not have power, resources or even a chariot. Ravan had chariots, resources, army and gold but Lord Ram had truth, hope, belief, love, kindness, modesty, patience, courage and truth. I want to tell those in power and Modi that the message of Lord Ram’s life is that power is not permanent... And arrogance gets shattered,” Priyanka added.

Addressing the gathering, Kalpana Soren said she was present at the rally as the voice of “50 per cent of the population of the country -- the women -- and the nine per cent tribal population.  “We, the tribals, have a long story of struggle and sacrifices. We are proud of our history. The crowd is evidence that the way autocratic forces are trying to attack democracy, this assembly has gathered against it,” she said.