Members of Social Democratic Party of India staged a protest in front of the railway junction here condemning the Central government for diesel price rise, allowing 51 per cent foreign direct investment in retail trade, and cap on cooking gas cylinders for households.
The protestors also condemned the State government for suppressing the Kudankulam anti-nuke protestors with police action and demanded that the filling of uranium fuel should be stopped taking into consideration the apprehensions of the coastal villages and prohibitory orders should be withdrawn. The protest was led by SDPI’s State general secretary S.M.Rabeer Ahmed in the presence of Madurai district president M. Jaffer Sultan and district general secretary Ziauddin.
Mr. Ahmed told reporters that the Centre’s claim that diesel price rise will not affect the poor was untrue and even they knew it as the price rise would increase the freight charges which would have an cascading effect on prices of food products. FDI in retail market would satisfy the capitalistic interests of United States of America.
The SDPI demanded immediate rollback of diesel price rise, withdrawal of FDI in retail trade and urged the Centre to hold talks with the anti-nuke protestors.
The protestors were later arrested by the police and were let off in the evening.
