WOMEN TO THE FORE AT I.N.D.I.A RALLY

Two chairs were kept empty for Arvind Kejriwal and Hemant Soren at the 'Save Democracy' rally

- ASHISH SINHA

Uddhav Thackeray asks "When our sisters are fighting, how can brothers stay behind?"

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s wife Sunita and former Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren’s wife Kalpana addressed a rally of the opposition bloc I.N.D.IA for the first time on Sunday and made a strong pitch for voting out the BJP, in an indication of their larger political role following the arrest of their spouses.

Two chairs were kept empty for Arvind Kejriwal and Hemant Soren at the ‘Loktantra Bachao’ (save democracy) rally at the Ramlila Maidan here, and their spouses blamed the BJP-led central government for the arrests.

Several opposition leaders expressed solidarity with Kalpana Soren and Sunita Kejriwal, with Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray saying, “When two of our sisters are fighting, how can the brothers stay behind?…Not just us, the whole country is with you.”

Sunita has come into the limelight following the Delhi chief minister’s arrest by the Enforcement Directorate in an excise policy-linked money laundering case on March 21.

A former IRS officer, she was earlier seen only on stage lending him support or acknowledging party workers. After the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) registered a historic mandate in Delhi in 2015 by winning 67 out of the 70 assembly seats, Arvind Kejriwal had posted a tweet thanking her for always being there with him. In a picture, he could also be seen hugging her in joy.