A protest planned by the CPI(M) at Jagadamba junction here on Saturday against increase in prices of petrol and diesel turned into a brief scuffle with the police as the latter snatched away an effigy of the Central government, which the party workers wanted to burn. The CPI(M) workers led by their leaders reached Jagadamba junction, but a large posse of police present there since morning stopped them and snatched away the effigy. The CPI(M) workers tried to prevent the police from snatching away the effigy but the police took into custody party leaders M. Jaggu Naidu, Y. Raju, and R.P. Raju and some party workers.
The police prevented the party from staging the protest and this was an undemocratic act, party leaders B. Ganga Ram, M. Subba Rao and M. Jaggu Naidu said. The government would not bring down the price of petrol on par with the drop in international price of crude oil, but lost no time in hiking the price as soon as the international price went up, the party leaders said. The Andhra Pradesh Auto Drivers and Workers Union, affiliated to AITUC, organised a procession and staged a dharna demanding that the Central Government roll back the hike in petrol and diesel prices.
‘The government does not lower the price of petro products if there is a drop in the price in international market, but increases it promptly if there is
a rise’
