Cadres of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) staged a protest here on Saturday demanding an immediate rollback of diesel price hike and to cancel the restriction of six LPG cylinders for a family in a year and condemning the 51 per cent FDI in retail trade.
Stating this as an “onslaught of an economic war on the people,” the protestors led by B. Vikraman in the presence of state executive members R. Annadurai, MLA, and B.Jothiram, rural district secretary, raised slogans against the Central Government for putting the working classes and middle classes into a miserable condition.
Mr. Vikraman said that already the common man is in deep trouble, owing to rise in the prices of all essential commodities and public transport, and this hike has come as an additional burden which they cannot bear. Though all the oil corporations have seen profits on a high level, the Centre has stated that the price rise to rescue oil companies from loss.
Mr. Annadurai said that small industries and retail traders would be directly affected by the price rise and also said that 51 per cent FDI in retail trade would be a death knell to the retailers and most of the business would soon see a transfer to the transnational corporations.
The protestors also criticised the DMK and the Trinamool Congress for their statements that despite being allies they were not being consulted and they did not know about the price rise decision. The CPI (M) cadres numbering more than 300 were arrested during the protest and were later released in the evening.
