Nineteen Opposition parties came together in a show of unity on Thursday and accused the Modi government of getting the second half of the budget session washed out, while asserting that if this attitude continues, the country will move towards a “dictatorship”. In a boost to Opposition unity, the TMC, Bharat Rashtra Samithi, the AAP and the Samajwadi Party, which had been blowing hot and cold on sharing stage with the Congress on earlier occasions, participated in the march and the presser to give a joint call against the government on issues such as the Adani matter, price rise and alleged attack on democracy.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge accused the Narendra Modi government of not walking the talk on democratic principles and causing disruptions in Parliament to divert attention from the Opposition’s demand for a  joint parliamentary committee (JPC) probe into the Adani issue. At the presser, Kharge said, “The budget of Rs 50-lakh crore was passed in just 12 minutes, but they (BJP) always alleged that the Opposition parties have no interest and they kept disturbing the House.”