New Delhi/Allahabad/Varanasi/Nagpur, Jun 25 : Spontaneous, and in some cases, oppostion-led protests by housewives and common men took place in various cities, metros and towns on Saturday over the Centre's decision to bring about a steep hike of Rs 50 in the price of LPG cylinders and in the prices of diesel and kerosene by rs 3 and Rs 2 per litre.
Samajwadi Party workers staged protests in Varanasi, Allahabad and several other towns of Uttar Pradesh to protest fuel price hike.Thiruvananthapuram; Left parties and BJP today staged demonstrations across Kerala in protest against hike in the prices of diesel and cooking gas while the private bus operators threatened to organise a one-day strike on June 29.
Raising anti-Centre slogans, workers of CPI-M's youth wing DYFI blocked a passenger train at Kannur as part of their state-wide protest against the fuel price hike.
BJP workers took out marches in the state capital and other centres condemning the price increase.
Private Bus Operators Co-ordination Committee announced that all the services would be suspended on June 29 demanding an immediate fare hike in view of the diesel price increase.
The latest increase had come as a big blow to bus industry and immediate hike in minimum fares from Rs 4 to 5 was inevitable, its office-bearers said in Kozhikode. They said if their demands were not met by the government, they would think about launching an indefinite strike.
The Centre had yesterday hiked prices of diesel and kerosene by Rs 3 and Rs 2 respectively. The price of domestic LPG had also been increased by Rs 50 per cylinder.
Delhi: The oppposition BJP was the first off the blocks as it mobilised its workers to stage a protest at Jantar Mantar on Saturday.
Police had to use water cannons to control the demonstrators led by local BJP leaders demanding rollback in fuel price hike.Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit promised to consider the fuel price hike in her cabinet meeting so that the burden on the common man could be lessened.
Nagpur: People in this city came out on the streets carrying mud 'chullahs' and cooking gas stove to oppos the LPG price hike.
Kolkata: The opposition Left Front threatened to start an agitation demanding rollback in the fuel price hike. Left Front chairman Biman Bose said the steep hike in the price of LPG cylinders will break the back of the common man alredy reeling under pricerise.
Mumbai : Nearly 150 BJP activists at the party office here today shouted anti-government slogans and took out a morcha with a bullock-cart to Petroleum House.
“Government is committing atrocities on the common people. We strongly condemn the move to hike the fuel prices and demand withdrawal of the price hike,” said former Petroleum Minster and BJP leader Ram Naik.
Punjab Deputy Chief Minister and SAD President Sukhbir Singh Badal said the UPA government “deliberately hastened the oil price hike as it feared that crashing crude prices every day would leave no justification for diesel, kerosene and LPG price hike.” He said the price hike would have direct bearing on farmers besides having a cascading effect on inflation.
INLD's secretary general Ajay Singh Chautala criticised the move saying, “The step has once again exposed the anti-people face of the Congress.
Jammu : Shiv Sena activists holding gas-cylinders, kerosene stoves and earthen stoves staged a demonstration against the hike. Over 200 Sena activists led by J-K Shiv Sena unit president Ashok Gupta also raised anti-UPA slogans. “The price rise in the past has already hit the financial backbone of the common man,” Gupta said, adding the government should roll back the price.
In Kerala, Left parties and BJP staged demonstrations to protest against the hike while private bus operators threatened to organise a one-day strike on June 29. Workers of CPI-M's youth wing DYFI blocked a passenger train at Kannur as part of their state-wide protest against the hike. BJP workers took out marches in the state capital and other centres condemning the price increase.
Criticising the move, JDS chief H D Deve Gowda alleged the Centre's action in reducing excise and customs duty was done to benefit oil companies.“When prices of petroleum products remained stable at USD 90 per barrel in International market in the last four or five months, where is the need for going in for price hike?,” the former Prime Minister asked.
