Protests mark Bharat bundh in Mangalore

Mangalore, September 20: Series of protests and demonstrations against United Progressive Alliance government marked the Bharat bundh in the coastal city of Mangalore on Thursday.

The day long strike was called by the National Democratic Alliance and other opposition parties to protest against the recent hike in diesel price, cap on supply of subsidised cooking gas cylinders and for allowing foreign direct investment (FDI) in multi-brand retail sector by the UPA government.

Activists of local units of Bharatiya Janata Party, Communist Party of India (Marxists) and Janata Dal (Secular) staged separate protests in Mangalore.

Dozens of BJP workers staged a protest near PVS circle in the city and raised slogans against Congress-led union government.

Speaking on the occasion Mangalore MP Nalin Kumar Kateel said that people had come out in large numbers to support the shutdown. "The BJP has called for shutdown to raise the voice against the insensitive union government on behalf of people, and the people have extended their support," he said.

"We are protesting against anti-national and anti-people policies of Congress-led government and we have come out in support of the people. Because of the wrong policies of the government, the prices of petrol are touching the sky and are being raised frequently. We demand a rollback of petrol prices" he said.

In a separate protest staged in front of the office of Deputy Commissioner in Mangalore, CPI (M) and DYFI activists lashed out at the Centre, which according to them is a puppet controlled by colonial powers.

Raising slogans against FDI in retail, a group of JD(S) workers held a demonstration outside the office of Deputy Commissioner, where M G Hegde, State Secretary of the party, slammed the Congress for being indifferent to the problems of the people.

It is worth mentioning here that this is the third time that the BJP and Left parties are coordinating their agitations since the last Lok Sabha elections to give the impression of a wider opposition unity on issues concerning people. Similar agitations against petrol price hike had happened on July 5, 2010 and May 31, 2012.

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