Left hold nationwide protests demanding petro hike rollback

New Delhi, June 13 (UNI) A bandh-like situation in Left-ruled states of Kerala and Tripura, and forceful demonstrations elsewhere today marked the Left-sponsored National Protest Day against the increase in prices of petrol and diesel.

The agitation called to demand a rollback of the ''unjustified'' price hike was backed by Left-affiliated trade unions -- CITU, AITUC, HMS and others; and by the Samajwadi Party, the Janta Dal (S) the Rashtriya Lok Dal, and Telugu Desam Party.

The nationwide tranporters' strike by the All India Motor Transport Congress today against the price hike added strength to the Left agitation.

CPI leaders A B Bardhan and Shamim Faizi said here that thousands of Left activists took to streets in West Bengal, Kerala, Maharashtra, Punjab, Assam, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan and other parts of the country.

The issue will also come up in the UPA-Left Coordination Committee meet scheduled for June 15, they said, adding that it was highly deplorable that the Manmohan Singh government had chosen to hike the prices of petrol and diesel by brushing aside their alternative suggestions to reduce the tax component in the customs, excise duties and other taxes on fuel imports.

While the Congress-ruled states -- Maharashtra, Delhi and Andhra Pradesh -- and Tamil Nadu, where Congress has given outside support to the DMK government, have reduced the sales tax, the Left and the BJP-ruled states have yet to follow suit.

They insist on reduction in central excise and custom duties to bring down the costs of petrol and diesel.

In the national capital, a rally at Jantar Mantar was addressed by CPI(M) leaders Prakash Karat, Sitaram Yechury, RSP leader and MP Abani Roy and Forward Bloc General Secretary and MP Debabrata Biswas who warned of street protests, similar to ones seen in Nepal that led to the overthrow of the monarchy.

In a veiled threat of withdrawal of support to the UPA government, Mr Biswas said, ''We have in the past few weeks given several proposals to the Centre to reduce the price of petrol but it has not paid heed to them. I must warn the government that if it continues to ignore our pleas, then it's very existence could be in danger.'' More UNI TEAM LR RS1802