Left Parties’ Hartal Against Petrol-Diesel Price Rise

September 11, 2018

 

Thousands of activists of Left Parties which includes CPI(M), CPI, CPI(ML) SUCI(C) demonstrated in various part of Delhi on 10th September 2018 to make success the hartal called by Left Parties against the unparalled hike in prices of petrol, diesel and cooking gas as well as the runaway increase in prices of essential commodities. A powerful protest demonstration and court arrest programme was organized in Parliament Street that was led by Sitaram Yechury, General Secretary, CPI(M), Sudhakar Reddy, General Secretary CPI, and other leaders of left parties. AAP leader Atishi Marlena also came to the venue of the protest and extended her support to this protest.

Addressing the protesters Comrade Sitaram Yechury lambasted the Modi Govt. for not controlling the prices of Petrol and Diesel which is resulting in escalation of prices of essential commodities. The worst victims of these anti-people policies are the toiling masses both urban and rural. He said today’s Bharat Bandh which is supported by 21 opposition political parties and working people, farmers, workers, students, women, dalits and tribals will become a massive campaign to oust the anti-people Modi Govt. from power in 2019.

Sudhakar Reddy, General Secretary, CPI said that the BJP government is trying to shrug away its own responsibility of bringing fuel prices under the ambit of the Goods and the Services Tax (GST). Unlike the previous governments, the BJP has also failed to cut excise duty whenever international oil prices shoot up.

The other leaders like Santosh Rai from CPI(ML) and Pran Sharma of SUCI-C also criticized the Modi Govt. for its refusal to curb petroleum prices and inflation in general.

At the end of protest meeting hundreds of activists led by national leaders of Left parties marched towards parliament and courted arrest in front of Parliament Street Police Station. The protesters raised powerful slogans against the anti-people Modi Government and demanded roll back of price hike of petrol and diesel.
Besides the above central programme in Delhi, protest rallies and effigy burning against the unprecedented rise in prices of petroleum products were also held in Bawana, Jehangirpuri, Mangolpuri, Dabri Mor, Mahipalpur, Mithapur (Badarpur), Sonia Vihar etc in Delhi as well as in Old Bus Stand, Ghaziabad, Qasba Chowki, Loni and Sector 8-9 Chowk in Noida.