LDF calls for hartal against fuel price hike

Thiruvananthapuram, June 4: The ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) in Kerala today called for a dawn-to-dusk hartal tomorrow to protest the Centre's decision to hike fuel price.

It was in the name of price hike in the international market that the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Government had decided to increase the price of diesel and petrol in the country, he alleged in a statement here.

Alleging that the hike was ''most objectionable'', he said it could have been avoided if the UPA government had heeded the alternative suggestions put forward by the Left parties.

LDF Convener Vaikom Viswan said when the country was facing severe price hike because of the ''wrong'' policies of the Centre, the hiking of petroleum product prices would further make the life of common man more miserable.

This hike would affect Kerala the most, as it was mostly a consumer state, he added.

The CPI(M) sought public cooperation for the agitation against the Centre. However, essential services like milk, newspapers and hospitals would be exempted from the hartal, he said.

UNI