INDIA Bloc's 'Maha Rally' Against Kejriwal's Arrest On March 31: How Ramlila Maidan Became A Venue For Big Political Protests

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and its allies of INDI bloc are set to hold a ‘maha rally’ in protest of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s arrest at the national capital’s iconic Ramlila Maidan on March 31. The Ramlila Maidan has witnessed many huge political rallies and protests in recent years. This is where Anna Hazare launched his massive anti-corruption movement in 2011, and Arvind Kejriwal took oath as Delhi’s Chief Minister in 2015.

Ramlila Maidan: A Look At Historical Events

• Independent India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru held a public gathering welcoming Queen Elizabeth II during her state visit to India in 1961.
• Following India’s defeat in the Indo-China war, Lata Mangeshkar sang the patriotic song, “Aye Mere Watan Ke Logo” in the presence of then Prime Minister Nehru on Republic Day in 1963.
• In 1965, then prime minister Lal Bahadur Shastri gave his famous slogan ‘Jai Jawan Jai Kisan’ while addressing a public gathering here.
• The first protest in the Ramlila Maidan came in 1975 when Jayaprakash Narayan along with prominent Opposition leaders, addressed a huge rally with over a lakh people on June 25. The protest was staged against Indira Gandhi’s government.
• In 1977, after the removal of the emergency in India, several opposition leaders came together to form the Janata Party. The Joint rally was held at Ramlila Maidan in February 1977 and was led by several opposition leaders Jagjivan Ram, Morarji Desai, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Charan Singh and Chandra Shekhar.

Recent Political Events at Ramlila Maidan

• Swami Ramdev held a hunger strike at Ramlila Maidan in June 2011 to bring back the black money.
• Anna Hazare Launched his anti-corruption movement here.

INDI Bloc to Hold ‘Maha Rally’ at Ramlila Maidan

Delhi Minister Gopal Rai on Sunday announced in a press conference that AAP along with its allies of INDI bloc will hold a ‘maha rally’ at Ramlila Maidan to protest against the arrest of Arvind Kejriwal by the ED in a liquor policy scam case.

Delhi Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj called Ramlila Maidan a “historical place”. “The biggest revolutions in the country started from Ramlila Maidan. AAP also rose from the Ramlila Maidan… Senior leaders of all INDIA parties will take part in the rally and address the nation…” he said.

The Delhi CM was arrested by the probe agency on Thursday night after hours of questioning and was sent to 6-day custody till Match 28 by a trial court on Friday. The AAP chief is currently lodged in jail.