UP ruling parties protest hike; trains stopped

Lucknow, Jun 13: Train services in most parts of Uttar Pradesh were hit as activists of the ruling Samajwadi Party and Rashtriya Lok Dal stopped trains to protest the recent hike in prices of petroleum products.

Reports from Varanasi, Pratapgarh, Gorakhpur, Jaunpur and Agra said trains were stopped either at railway stations or mid way by political activists.

The agitators also raised slogans against Prime Minister Manmohan, Singh, Finance minister P Chidambaram and AICC president Sonia Gandhi. The effigies of the three were also burnt at a few places.

The trains stopped by agitators included Kisan EXpress, Kashi-Vishwanath Express, Holiday Express, Godan Express, Janata Express, Howrah-Amritsar Express, Saryu-Yamuna Express, Shalimar Express and Swatantrata Sainani Express.

There was, However, no reports of any violence.

State Chief Minister and Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav had recently given a call to observe a strike today to protest the hike in petro products. SP's ally in the ruling coalition RLD too had given a call for state-wide demonstrations. Former Prime Minister VP Singh's Jan Morcha Gathbandhan had also decided to hold protests. ''We would hold separate protests...we will not join hands with SP,'' he had said.

The RLD had also demanded that the state government reduced Trade tax and UP Development Tax on petroleum products to help the common man. ''While we would join hands with SP on reducing price of petro products, we would hold separate demonstration asking the state government to reduce trade tax and development tax,'' RLD state unit chief Ram Asrey Verma said.

UNI