Fuel price hike sparks protests across twin districts; political parties slam UPA

Mangalore, May 24: The steepest ever hike in the price of petrol spread anger across the coastal Karnataka, with people venting ire at the Central Government through protests and demonstrations under the banner of various political organisations in cities like Mangalore and Udupi.

Political parties and organisations such as Bharatiya Janata Party, Communist Party of India (Marxist), Democratic Youth Federation of India and Nagarika Samiti took out took out rallies in the headquarters of twin coastal districts shouting slogans against the UPA government and accusing it of being indifferent towards the people's problems.

The protesters urged the people to prepare for the nationwide bundh on May 31 to pressurise the Congress led government. The bundh call was given by both BJP led National Democratic Alliance and Left Parties.

The agitators singled out Prime Minister Manmohan Singh “failing to check fuel price rise despite being an economist”.

Poor and lower middle class families would have to bear the brunt of increase in prices of fuel, said Mangalore MP Nalin Kumar Kateel while addressing the protesters in front of the office of Deputy Commissioner, here on Thursday.

“In a welfare country like India, the UPA government betrayed the people by allowing fuel to be determined by the market. Although there was no change in crude oil price internationally, the government revised the price to benefit oil companies,” he said.

Mr Kateel said that his party would demand an immediate and complete rollback. “If there is no rollback, it will be the last chapter of your political history,” he warned.

Demanding the resignation of the PM, he said: “The government is neck-deep in corruption. Despite the PM being an economist, our economy has been ailing for long”, he added.

In Udupi, members of Zilla Nagarika Samiti staged a unique protest by pushing two-wheelers from Diana Circle and later carried the two-wheelers from Clock Tower accompanied by the music of traditional drummers.

Soon after the Centre announced the petrol price hike on Wednesday DFYI members in Mangalore had initiated the protest by taking out a rally from DC office to Rao and Rao Circle.