Addressing a rally organised by Om Prakash Chautala’s INLD, Singh said: “There appears to be a leadership crisis in the country... attempt is being made to weaken our institutions like CAG, CVC, judiciary and... even the armed forces.”

Besides Chautala, Singh shared the stage with Sharad Yadav of the JD(U), Parkash Singh Badal of the Akali Dal, Nama Nageswara Rao of the TDP and Ramdas Athawale of the RPI. While the rally was ostensibly held to pay tribute to late deputy prime minister Devi Lal on his birth anniversary, the leaders used the opportunity to target the alleged corruption by the ruling Congress, urging the public not to vote for the party in the 2014 elections.

Singh did not name the Congress but he said: “Time has come to have participatory democracy and remove all those not following the spirit of the Constitution”.

“You should bring forward people who sympathise with the common man, the poor and farmers,” he said. Singh also referred to media reports to allege that the Congress government of Haryana was in collusion with real estate firms and working against the interests of farmers.

Meanwhile, in an apparent criticism of Singh’s demand for dissolution of Parliament, Sharad Yadav said: “Some people on the streets are... diverting the focus. Lohia took on Nehru in Parliament, JP led the movement to defeat Indira Gandhi democratically, even Rajiv Gandhi was brought to his knees in Parliament only. I wonder whether people crying loudly on the streets are trying to end the entire issue (of alleged corruption by the government).”