Thousands rally in India’s capital as opposition bloc and Prime Minister Modi launch their campaigns WHIO TV 7 and WHIO Radio [Video]

NEW DELHI — (AP) — An alliance of India’s opposition parties launched its election campaign with a massive rally Sunday that criticized Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government of stifling opponents and undermining democracy ahead of a national election next month.

The “Save Democracy” rally in New Delhi was the first major show of strength by the opposition bloc INDIA. Modi on Sunday also launched a formal campaign for the election to be held over six weeks starting April 19.

Opposition leaders spoke to the flag-waving crowd and criticized Modi’s government for arresting several of their colleagues, including New Delhi’s top elected official Arvind Kejriwal on March 21. The leaders called the arrests undemocratic and accused Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party, or BJP, of using federal agencies to undermine the opposition.

Kejriwal was arrestedby the federal Enforcement Directorate on charges that his party and state ministers had accepted 1 billion rupees ($12 million) in bribes from liquor contractors nearly two years ago. The Aam Aadmi Party, or …