All parties attending the rally had their own agenda. Mulayam Singh Yadav reminded the government that he was instrumental in bringing down the BJP and could do it again. Prakash Karat said this was not the only protest in the country. It was happening in every state, and every district.
By 4 pm, it was over. The cops heaved a sigh of relief and started issuing new orders. The rally saw over a lakh of people in attendance. Then again, hardly a large number in a country with a population of over a billion.
The Left was just making a noise. It had too. Elections had been announced in two Left-dominated states, Kerala and West Bengal. It has to show the masses it was with them, never mind if it was supporting the very party that was rolling out the red carpet for President Bush.
Running with the hares and hunting with the hounds: No one does it better than the Left.
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President Bush in India