Congress president Rahul Gandhi returned from his Kailash Mansarovar Yatra to join and lead the Bharat Bandh his party on Monday called to protest rising petrol and diesel prices.
Gandhi accompanied by top Congress leaders Ahmed Patel, Ghulam Nabi Azad and Ashok Gehlot, first reached Rajghat, the memorial of Mahatma Gandhi, to pay respects and offer the Mansarovar waters there.
All other Congress leaders were with him along with some opposition leaders like RJDs Jaiprakash Narayan Yadav and Manoj Jha, RSPs NK Premachandran among others.
The Congress said 20 parties were joining the protests. Most opposition parties were, however, represented in the Delhi protest by second or third rung leaders.
After Rajghat the leaders walked to Ramlila Maidan in protest before starting a dharna against high fuel prices and demanding a rollback of excise duties and VAT.
The Congress is also seeking that petrol be included in the Goods and Services Tax net.
Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said the time to dislodge the BJP Government was nearing and all Opposition parties must put their narrow interests behind in the larger national interest of saving democracy by sending the BJP packing.
Addressing a gathering of Opposition leaders at Ram Lila Maidan during the Bharat Bandh against rising petrol prices today, Singh said the Modi government had failed miserably in delivering its promises and the people were agitated and angry.
The youth have no jobs, the economy is in tatters and the promises are not being fulfilled. The time to dislodge Modi government is nearing. This government has not done any good to the country and has taken many decisions against national interests.
Now it has gone beyond limits, Singh said asking for the opposition leaders to get together to remove the Modi led BJP in 2019.
Earlier Singh said the assembly of such a large number of opposition leaders was significant and an indicator to the coming together of forces to oust BJP.
All opposition parties just now keep narrow interests behind them and come together to save the country, its unity and democracy, former PM said in the presence of Congress president Rahul Gandhi and UPA chief Sonia Gandhi.
