New Delhi, Aug 6 (IANS) The opposition led by Rahul Gandhi on Friday joined the farmers' protest at Jantar Mantar here. The AAP, however, did not join the protest.
The leaders assembled in the Parliament premises and then boarded a bus to reach the venue.
Rahul Gandhi along with other leaders sat with the agitating farmers. He said, "Everybody in the opposition has gathered to extend support against the 'black laws'. We want a discussion over Pegasus, but they (Government) are not allowing the discussion, Narendra Modi has intercepted every Indian's phone with the spyware."
The Congress leader said, "One thing that is constant in the history of our great land -- the victory of the kisan, over oppression, over discrimination and over tyranny. This time too, history will repeat."
Though the opposition is trying to show itself as a united front, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) did not join the protest. All the three parties are also against the new farm laws and support the agitating farmers.
AAP MP Sushil Gupta said that if the protest was done under the leadership of LoP Mallikarjun Kharge, then they would have joined.
The AAP and the SAD-BSP combine are pitted against the Congress in Punjab. All the parties are supporting farm agitation but differ in showing solidarity.
Earlier in the day, the opposition met at the office of the Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge and decided to continue with their demand of discussion on Pegasus snooping issue, farm laws and fuel price hike. The leaders also decided to join the farmers' protest at Jantar Mantar.
Amid escalating infighting in Punjab Congress, Chief Minister Amarinder Singh is likely to meet Sonia Gandhi and apprise his side of the story to the interim Congress President.
Light tremors of an earthquake were felt in Delhi and parts of the National Capital Region (NCR) late on Monday evening. Tremors of the earthquake of 3.7 magnitude on the Richter scale were felt at 10.36 p.m.
In a resounding endorsement of India's enduring secular values, an extensive report has found that most Indians respect all religions as it is "very important to being truly Indian" and they are all free to practice their religions.
Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Friday took a potshot at the government over the prices of edible oils, saying that a farmer has to sell one quintal of wheat to buy mustard oil for a month.
