Opposition parties in Andhra protest petrol price hike

HYDERABAD - Opposition parties in Andhra Pradesh Sunday staged protests in different parts of the state against the hike in petrol prices and demanded its immediate rollback to ease the woes of the common man.

Telugu Desam Party (TDP), Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Communist Party of India (CPI) and Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) staged demonstrations in different parts of the state.

Leaders and activists of the BJP, led by Bandaru Dattatreya, took out a mock funeral of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government.

The procession was taken out from the BJP office in Hyderabad, with protestors carrying the government’s effigy on their shoulders, which was later set afire. They were also shouting the anti-government slogans.

“A government which has no concern for the problems of the common man has no moral right to continue,” said Dattatreya, demanding the resignation of Congress-led coalition government.

TDP chief N. Chandrababu Naidu said by increasing the petrol price for the 19th time in six years, the UPA government had once again proved that it was pursuing anti-people policies.

“People could not celebrate Sankranti due to skyrocketing prices of essential commodities and the latest hike in petrol price has come yet another shock for them,” the former chief minister said.

He alleged that oil companies were increasing the petrol prices in an arbitrary manner and demanded that the state government provide some relief to people by cutting down the sales tax on petroleum products.

Activists of CPI and CPI-M staged protests in Guntur and Vijayawada. Raising anti-government slogans and holding banners, the protestors marched through the streets protesting the hike and demanding its immediate rollback.