Thaindian News

Kolkata, Sep 16 (IANS) Denouncing the petrol price hike as anti-people, West Bengal’s opposition Left Front parties have decided to hit the streets to empathise with the people.

“Prices of essentials will go up,” Left Front chairman Biman Bose told media persons after a meeting of front partners here. “We will protest. We had earlier announced a six-day protest from Sep 19 to 24 against price-rise of essentials and corruption of the central government. Now the latest petrol hike will also be an issue.”

The Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP), a Left Front partner, said the announcement of petrol price hike by the oil companies would make it more difficult for people.

“People are already reeling under the impact of escalating prices of essentials,” RSP state secretary Kshiti Goswami told IANS here. “Their condition will further worsen now.”

Regretting that the Left Front’s position had been weakened after the recent electoral setback in the state, Goswami said: “But we understand the deep resentment among people. We will launch a movement to be with the people. We will hit the streets.”

He said the Left parties had time and again warned central governments of the pitfalls of globalisation.

“Now people are feeling the heat,” he said. “Whenever prices go up, be it that of petrol or essentials, the central government comes up with the excuse that it is due to the international situation. The outcome of globalisation is now for all to see.”

Communist Party of India (CPI) state secretary Manju Kumar Majumdar criticised United Progressive Alliance constituent Trinamool Congress for shedding “crocodile tears” in the name of the people.

“They are a part of the central government. They are also responsible for the decision. How can they shirk their responsibility? They must admit it,” Majumdar told IANS.

The Left Front ruled the state uninterruptedly from 1977 to May 2011, when it was ousted by an alliance led by the Trinamool Congress.