Most Opposition parties on Sunday expressed support to the Bharat bandh called by the Congress and Left Front over rising fuel prices in a showdown with the Modi government that has evaded a direct explanation to the non-stop rise in fuel prices.
While parties like the Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S), Samajwadi Party (SP), DMK, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and Maharshtra Navanirman Sena (MNS) backed the shutdown planned on Monday, the Left has also declared a nationwide hartal.
BJD, TMC not in
The Biju Janata Dal (BJD), a non-NDA party, said although it was against the fuel price hike, it would not support the bandh. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) took a similar stand in Delhi.
The Congress wants petrol and diesel to be brought under the Goods and Services Tax (GST), which would decrease the price “by ₹15-18 per litre.” It also wants an immediate reduction in central excise duty and “excessive VAT” in States.
Issuing a joint statement on Friday, five Left parties including the Communist Party of India (Marxist), Communist Party of India, Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist)-Liberation, RSP and Socialist Unity Centre of India (SUCI) accused the Modi government of creating an economic crisis in the country, while failing to stand by its electoral promise of recovering black money and creating employment.
Left Front chairman Biman Bose called for a 12-hour strike from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Monday across West Bengal in support of the all-India “protest hartal” and urged people in the State to make the protest a big success. The ruling Trinamool Congress government said it will oppose the bandh, though the party will stage its own protest against the rise in fuel prices. It issued a notification instructing its employees to report for duty on Monday.
Karnataka’s ruling JD(S) announced it will support the day-long nationwide protest.
“Our party has decided to support the Congress call in protest against the steep hike in fuel prices and other anti-people policies of the NDA-led government,” a JD(S) official told IANS in Bengaluru.
As the Congress and JD(S) will also protest against the misuse of the CBI, Enforcement Directorate and Income Tax office against Opposition leaders, former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda will join other Opposition leaders at a protest rally and meeting in New Delhi.
Meanwhile, State governments across the country braced for the bandh with senior officials reviewing the security measures and many States deciding to keep schools shut on Monday.
The BJP’s Tripura government has ordered all its employees to attend office on Monday and warned of strict action against absentees.
