Lalu Yadav's ‘Desh Bachao, BJP Bhagao’ rally today; Sonia, Rahul and Mayawati to give it a miss

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New Delhi: In a bid to throw Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) out of power, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad Yadav will hold ‘Desh Bachao, BJP Bhagao’ rally at Patna’s historic Gandhi Maidan on Sunday. 

The mega rally, which is said to be a major show ahead of 2019 Lok Sabha polls, will see participation from political heavyweights like West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and SP chief Akhilesh Yadav. Rebel JD(U) leader Sharad Yadav, who is staring at an expulsion from the party for defying orders, will also be a participant.

As per the reports of PTI, BSP chief Mayawati, Congress president Sonia Gandhi and party vice president Rahul Gandhi will not be present at the rally. However, senior leaders Ghulam Nabi Azad, C P Joshi and Hanumantha Rao would represent the grand old party. 

Trinamool Congress, Samajwadi Party and leaders of the NCP, CPI, RLD, JMM, JVM, DMK, Kerala Congress, RSP, AIUDF, NC and JD(S) leaders would reportedly share the dais with RJD supremo Lalu Prasad.

Making a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the RJD chief had earlier said, "The country is witnessing an emergency like the situation today. Those not agreeing with him are being harassed by lodging court cases."

The BJP and JD(U), however, took potshots at the RJD rally saying it comes at a time when the state is witnessing massive floods in 19 districts.

The BJP leader and state Health minister Mangal Pandey accused Lalu Prasad and his party of being insensitive towards flood victims whom neither he nor his partymen visited at the time of distress.

State JD(U) chief spokesman Sanjay Singh said, "instead of visiting flood victims, Lalu Prasad is busy showing his face as well as those of his two sons."

"August 27 will be counted as a black day in political history of the country," he said attacking the RJD.

Patna District Magistrate Sanjay Kumar Aggarwal said that over 6,000 policemen would be deployed for the rally.

"64 CCTV cameras, 32 inside Gandhi Maidan and as many outside it, have been installed,"Aggarwal stated. 

(With inputs from PTI)