CPI(M) men take to the street against hike in petrol price

Protesters burn effigy of Prime Minister, demand immediate rollback

Growing dissent: CPI(M) activists staging a demonstration against the hike on petrol price, in Kurnool on Tuesday.

Deploring the frequent hikes in the prices of petrol and diesel, CPI(M) Central Committee member and former MLA M.A. Gafoor led a protest rally and burnt an effigy of Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Kurnool RTC bus stand on Tuesday.

Mr. Gafoor accused the Central and State Governments of vying with each other to burden the common man by levying VAT on petrol and diesel. Flaying the previous Congress-led UPA Government for decontrolling the fuel pricing, he blamed the NDA Government for increasing petrol and diesel prices 14 times. Stating that the Karnataka and Tamil Nadu Governments do not levy VAT on the fossil fuel, he said the prices of petrol and diesel were six per cent higher in Andhra Pradesh than that of Karnataka.

Tax burden

“The Central and State governments are levying taxes to the tune of 62 percent on petrol and diesel. The fuel prices are being jacked up, despite the fall in the crude oil prices in the global market. The A.P. Government levied a tax of 31 percent on fuel prices,” he pointed out.

Participating in the protest, CPI(M) district general secretary K. Prabhakara Reddy said the hike in petrol and diesel prices were having a cascading effect on the prices of all essential commodities.

Party senior leader T. Shadrak said the hike was putting additional burden on the middle class. CPI(M) leaders Ghouse Desai, B. Ramanjaneyulu, Radhakrishna, Ramudu, E. Pulla Reddy and Rajasekhar took part in the protest.

Kakinada Staff Reporter adds: Demanding immediate withdrawal of the hike in oil prices, CPI(M) city unit staged a protest at Mosque Centre. Holding placards and shouting slogans against the Central government, the protesters said the NDA government was protecting the interests of the corporate groups at the cost the common man.

Party’s city unit secretary K. Srinivas said that in the last four years, the oil prices had dropped by 50% in the international market. “Instead of reducing the prices, the government is increasing it time and again ,” he said, adding that the stir would continue until the hike was rolled back.