Half a million attend rally against Modi

KOLKATA: India’s opposition parties drew half a million supporters to Kolkata’s streets on Saturday 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.