Anger fuel as prices of Petrol, Diesel rise
Our Correspondents / AMN / WEB DESK
The Bharat Bandh called by the Congress, Left and 20 other parties against rising fuel prices affected normal life in different part of the country today. Violence was reported from some pockets – including Gujarat and Bihar — as protesters tried to enforce the day-long Bharat Bandh.
In Bihar capital Patna, Opposition Party workers vandalised vehicles. In Maharashtra’s Pune, the police arrested six workers of Maharashtra Navnirman Sena who were trying to close shops forcibly. The Congress said it has urged party workers not to indulge in any violent protest.
Schools and colleges remained closed in Bengaluru as Karnataka’s ruling Janata Dal Secular, which is in alliance with the Congress, said it would support the day-long protest. Schools in Odisha too are closed, though Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik’s party has refused to back the shutdown.
Traffic went off the roads in most places including on National Highways. While government offices recorded thin attendance, most markets and educational institutions remained closed during the bandh hours mostly in non BJP ruled states.
Hundreds of party workers took to the streets in different places and blocked roads to express their resentment against the rising fuel prices that have shot up prices of essential commodities.
Supporters of the shutdown burnt tyres and put up obstacles on roads in different states to block movement of vehicular traffic.
While the bandh failed to have much impact on flights, it affected train services in different parts of the country.
Congress president Rahul Gandhi launched a sharp attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his government during a bandh protest in New Delhi .
Speaking at the Ramlila rally, Rahul Gandhi said, “The rupee has never has been weaker in 70 years of independence. Farmers, labourers see no light at the end of the tunnel. Only 15-20 big industrialists are prospering.”
Addressing the protest rally, Gandhi alleged the ruling BJP was spreading hatred and that the country was being divided under the rule of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said it was time for all opposition parties to shed their differences and move forward unitedly “to save” sovereignty and democracy.
Accusing the government of spreading hatred and dividing the nation, Mr Gandhi said, “The youth of the country are tired”. While the government maintained the fuel price rise is “out of our hands” in view of rising prices of crude oil.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee reiterated her party’s support to the issues raised by the Congress against the Narendra Modi government but said calling a shutdown should be the last resort as it leads to wastage of money and man-days.
Claiming that “an economic disaster and mismanagement” is going on in the country under the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Central government, Banerjee said she had informed the Congress leadership in Delhi that her government would not allow any shutdown in Bengal.
The price of petrol has been spiralling with the rising price of crude oil following US sanctions on Iran and the slide of rupee against the dollar. Petrol has touched an all-time high of Rs. 88 in Maharashtra. In one pocket of the state, Pharbani, it has touched Rs. 89.97.
Opposition Bharat bandh an attempt to mislead people: BJP
Every citizen of this country has a right to raise their voice against this atrocious and insensitive Govt. Today they raised their voice through Opposition's #BharatBandh !!
Today's #BharatBandh was the will of the people as they are the one's who are facing hardships daily!
— Tejashwi Yadav (@yadavtejashwi) September 10, 2018