Thaindian News

New Delhi, July 5 (IANS) Describing the nationwide shutdown against the hike in fuel prices as an “unprecedented success”, India’s Left parties Monday threatened to intensify their protests inside and outside parliament if the government did not roll back the hike in fuel prices.
“Despite detention and arrests of thousands of protesters, there was a bandh like situation in all parts of the country with shops, business establishments, transport and educational institutions being closed,” said a joint statement signed by general secretaries of the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M), Communist Party of India (CPI), Forward Bloc and Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP).

Claiming that people in many parts had come out “spontaneously” to join the nationwide shutdown, CPI-M politburo member Sitaram Yechury said: “Left parties and other secular parties will sit together and discuss the future course of action.”

He said the issue would be raised in parliament when the monsoon session begins this month. “The issue will rock parliament if there is no roll back,” Yechury told IANS.

He rejected the notion that the Left and BJP were fighting together against the Congress-led government on the issue.

“We first called the shutdown. After that the BJP announced their Bharat Bandh. We (Left and secular parties) are moving separately,” Yechury said.

“The momentum of this strike and bandh has to be carried forward,” is how CPI-M general secretary Prakash Karat put it.

“In the forthcoming parliament session, this should be raised as the major issue,” Karat told a television channel.

He also rejected as “useless speculation” reports that West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee was against the shutdown.

Left leaders A.B. Bardhan, D. Raja and Brinda Karat were arrested for picketing in Delhi.

“This has been the most widespread protest action in the country in recent years,” the statement from the parties said.

Congratulating the people for and the activists for making the shutdown “a complete success”, the Left parties said: “By this action the people have expressed their anger and strong opposition to the anti-people policies of inflicting successive burdens on the people through price hikes of petroleum products.

“The Left parties in consultation with secular opposition parties will chalk out plans for further intensifying the movement against price rise to compel the government to reverse these harmful steps.”

The call for the shutdown was also given by the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA).