Patidar quota agitation leader Hardik Patel likened the current NDA government to thieves and said while freedom fighter Subhash Chandra Bose fought with the Brithishers, the opposition parties along with the people of the country have to fight with theives.

Addressing the gathering at the same event, Gujarat independent MLA and Dalit leader Jignesh Mewani accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led central government of destroying the Constitution and democracy. He also claimed that the country in today's time is suffering from an unprecedented crisis.

He said, "Today our country is suffering from an unprecedented crisis. Our democracy and Constitution have been attacked in the last four-and-half years. In the upcoming elections, it is going to be a vital task to defeat the RSS-BJP."

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had earlier said that the rally will unite all opposition parties and it will be platform to fight the battle against the BJP.

According to her, the rally will be "historic" like the rallies organised by former West Bengal chief minister Jyoti Basu in the year 1989 and anti-Emergency leader Jayprakash Narayan in the late 1970s.

She has been touring the country since the last one year in an effort to shore up a strong and united opposition front to fight the Lok Sabha elections against the BJP.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)