The leaders of the Samajwadi Janata Dal, a bloc of six parties, in Delhi on Monday. (Press Trust of India)
In the first major political protest against the government, Prime Minister Narendra Modi's voice could be heard. Not as a speaker, but in an audio clip played out by former Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, pointing to, what he claimed, was the "PM's double speak" on the black money issue.
Mr. Kumar played two audio clips of the PM, one recorded during the election campaign and a more recent one of his radio address 'Mann Ki Baat.'
"During the elections, Modiji said each poor person can get Rs 15-20 lakh if black money was brought back. Now, as you heard in the radio clip, PM says no one knows how much black money is stashed away abroad," he said.
The attack on the PM was part of the first public meeting of the two-week-old Samajwadi Janata Dal, a bloc of six parties, mainly old-timers from the Janata Parivaar, who have united against the Narendra Modi-led BJP government.
Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav, Janata Dal - Secular leader and former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda, former Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Janata Dal - United leader Sharad Yadav shared the stage, with one time arch rival Rashtriya Janata Dal's Lalu Prasad Yadav.
They claimed the government had failed to keep its electoral promise on the issue of black money and also raised the issue of conversions, which has stalled proceedings inside Parliament.
Speaking to the hundreds of supporters who had gathered near Delhi's Jantar Mantar, braving this season's coldest morning yet, Mulayam Singh Yadav attacked the PM, "He didn't have any answers so he left the House. BJP spreads rumours, lies and has failed to keep the promises it made."
The turnout for the meeting was certainly impressive, given the cold conditions, but the road ahead won't be easy for these leaders, as they will have to work on converting their political strength into electoral numbers.