UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi on Saturday said that Kolkata rally called by TMC chief and West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee was an important attempt to galvanise leaders across the political spectrum to fight against the divisive government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Referring to the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, Gandhi said: "This will be an election to restore the nation's faith in democracy, defend our secular ethos and our heritage and defeat forces that are trying to sabotage the Constitution of India."

She also said that the citizens have been squeezed economically. "The institutions have been undermined politically and socially the pluralistic fabric stands are vitiated. The upcoming Lok Sabha elections will not be an ordinary one," Gandhi said in a written statement.

"An envelope of crisis looms from our farmers to our borders. The youth are jobless. Rice and jute farmers are in distress. Fishermen are in deep loss. The country at large is under immense strain," she further said.

(TMC) on Saturday organised an anti-BJP rally in Kolkata which was attended by the leaders of nearly 20 opposition parties. Former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar, SP chief Akhilesh Yadav, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu among others attended the rally.

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