The left parties have sought roll back of increase in rail freight charges, additional indirect taxes of Rs . 7,000 crore imposed in the general budget and the ever increasing diesel price to curtail price rise.
Speaking at a fast organised by the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and CPI here, the CPI (M) urban district secretary, B. Vikraman, said that these three factors have led to a steep increase in the prices of essential commodities in the last few days, he said.
The left parties also flayed the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance government in the Centre for attempting to buy unprecedented quantity of military equipment worth Rs. 10 lakh crore from the US, for the first time since independence.
“The US equipment that are generously available in black market across the globe have lost their credibility. Besides, the Government has decided to allow foreign direct investment in defence production, especially that of US funds,” Mr. Vikraman said.
The hunger protest was organised at four places in the city as part of the week-long campaign against the “anti-people” policies of the Centre and the State Government.
Speaking at the protest, the CPI (M) MLA, R. Annadurai, complained that sand smuggling continued in the AIADMK rule too and said that crime rate was increasing posing a challenge to maintenance of law and order.
Mr. Annadurai said that the Chief Minister, Jayalalithaa, who used to be vociferous against raise of petrol, diesel prices by the Congress-led Government in the past was now soft on the issue when the BJP-led Centre was doing the same.
She was also not raising her voice against the increasing FDI and selling State equities in public sector units.
Sand smuggling was continuing unabated in the State and iin violation of the High Court orders on protecting the environment, he complained.
Hundreds of cadre of both the Left parties took part in the protest.
