India's opposition parties drew half a million supporters to Kolkata's streets on Saturday (19) for the largest show of force yet against prime minister Narendra Modi as a national election looms.
Police in the eastern city said 500,000 people turned out for the massive "Unite India" rally, which saw leaders from across the opposition spectrum rail against Modi and his ruling Hindu nationalist party.
Speeches were beamed on 20 giant screens to a sea of spectators waving the national tricolour flag and the banners of India's myriad opposition movements. Police said 5,000 officers were on standby for security.
"The Modi government is past its expiry date," said Mamata Banerjee, the chief minister of West Bengal state, from an enormous raised platform.
Her government, which organised the rally, had suggested four million would attend but Kolkata Police Chief Rajeev Kumar said 500,000 showed up.
Modi, who was inspecting military hardware in Gujarat state on Saturday, accused the opposition of acting in self interest.
"The alliance is not against me, it's against India," he said, as quoted by the Hindustan Times newspaper.
The rally comes as hundreds of millions of Indians prepare to go to polls expected in April and May, the world's largest democratic exercise.
Modi -- the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader who won a landslide victory in 2014 -- is seeking another term, and remains hugely popular.
But he faces rising discontentment over unemployment and economic inequality. The BJP suffered a rare reverse in December when it lost three key state elections to Congress, the main opposition party.
Its leader, Rahul Gandhi, did not attend the rally but sent party representatives. His mother Sonia Gandhi, the party's former president, said it was "an important attempt to galvanise leaders to fight the Modi government".
Speakers from India's myriad state, regional and caste-based parties urged voters from the pulpit to unite against the prime minister and his BJP.
"Narendra Modi is a publicity PM, we need a performing PM," said Chandrababu Naidu, chief minister of the southern state of Andhra Pradesh.
H.D Deve Gowda, who was briefly prime minister in the 1990s, said regional parties were powerful but "cannot save India without uniting".
The opposition has not allied in a formal bloc, but some state outfits have joined forces as the election draws nearer.
This month two regional parties that were former bitter rivals in Uttar Pradesh -- India's most populous state -- announced an unlikely alliance to challenge Modi.
Clifford had previously pleaded guilty to the murders of BBC sports commentator John Hunt’s wife and two daughters at their home in northwest of London, in July 2024. (Photo: Hertfordshire Police /Handout via REUTERS)
Crossbow murderer found guilty of raping ex-girlfriend
A 26-YEAR-OLD man who murdered three women in a crossbow and stabbing attack has been found guilty of raping one of them, his ex-girlfriend, a British court ruled on Thursday.
Kyle Clifford had previously pleaded guilty to the murders of BBC sports commentator John Hunt’s wife and two daughters at their home in Bushey, northwest of London, in July 2024.
The attack led to a manhunt before Clifford was found injured hours later in a north London cemetery.
A jury at Cambridge Crown Court on Thursday convicted Clifford of raping 25-year-old Louise Hunt before killing her.
His sentencing for all the crimes is scheduled for Tuesday.
Clifford had admitted to murdering Carol Hunt, 61, and her daughters Louise and Hannah, 28. He had also pleaded guilty to charges of false imprisonment and possessing offensive weapons but denied raping Louise.
During the trial, the court heard that after killing Carol Hunt, Clifford waited for an hour before attacking Louise, tying her up, raping her, and then killing her with a crossbow. He later killed Hannah when she returned home from work.
The prosecution described Clifford, a former soldier, as committing a "violent, sexual act of spite" and said he was "enraged" after Louise ended their 18-month relationship. They told the court that he had "carefully planned" the attack.
Less than 24 hours before the killings, Clifford had searched for a podcast by social media influencer Andrew Tate, according to the prosecution. They argued that the murders were driven by the "violent misogyny promoted" by Tate.
Justice Joel Bennathan called Clifford’s crimes "dreadful" and "almost unspeakable".
(With inputs from AFP)