ASSEMBLY POLL '98
COMMENTARY
SPECIALS
INTERVIEWS
CAPITAL BUZZ
REDIFF POLL
DEAR REDIFF
THE STATES
YEH HAI INDIA!
ELECTIONS '98
ARCHIVES

Mulayam, Laloo stage massive protest against BJP

Sharat Pradhan in Lucknow

Samajwadi Party chief and former defence minister Mulayam Singh Yadav and Rashtriya Janata Dal chief and former Bihar chief minister Laloo Prasad Yadav staged a massive protest against the Bhartiya Janata Party governments at the Centre and in Uttar Pradesh.

Addressing a 10,000-strong crowed outside the district magistrate's office, the two leaders of the recently-formed Rashtriya Loktantrik Morcha blamed the BJP rule for all the problems in the state and the country.

"Rising prices, increasing lawlessness, worsening communal environment and the indifferent attitude of the administration clearly reflected the BJP government's failure on all fronts," Mulayam told the gathering.

Laloo describe the protest rally "as the beginning of the war against BJP misrule". He lashed at the ruling party, claiming, "I do not see any sign of governance, that which is there, is there only in name."

The two leaders claimed their protest laid the foundation of the "third force", which they described as the "only viable national alternative for governing the country".

The rally began from the Samajwadi Party state headquarters at Vikramaditya Marg with both Mulayam and Laloo leading the way in an open jeep, followed by thousands of Samajwadi Party volunteers. This is in marked variance to the leaders' usual practice of prudently avoiding possible attack.

Normal traffic in the state capital was thrown out of gear as the convoy meandered along slowly. The road outside the district magistrate's office, where the two leaders addressed the party members, was already closed to traffic.

The show of strength ended with Mulayam and Laloo courting arrest, only to be released within minutes.

"It was only a token arrest," said the district magistrate Sada Kant.

Mulayam told reporters, "Similar protests and court arrest by RLM volunteers will continue until the BJP governments are pulled down all over the country." He also lashed out at the Congress for "being selfish and hankering after power, instead of being concerned about the interests of the nation".

Tell us what you think of this report