Opposition joins farmers' protests; AAP, SAD, BSP back out

The opposition joined the farmers' protest at Jantar Mantar in Delhi on Friday. The leaders arrived at the venue in a bus that started from the Parliament and sat with the agitating farmers. However, though against the farm laws, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) did not join the protest revealing differences within the opposition.

"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," said Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.

"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," he added.

AAP MP Sushil Gupta said that the party would have joined had the protest been conducted under the leadership of LoP Mallikarjun Kharge. Both the AAP and the SAD-BSP alliance are rivals in Punjab. Despite their support for the ongoing farmers' protests, they differ in their expressions of 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 the Pegasus snooping issue, farm laws and fuel price hike. The leaders also decided to join the farmers' protest at Jantar Mantar.