More flak for price hike

NAGPUR: There were protests galore on Monday as all major non-Congress political parties went public with their ire on the price rise issue. In separate protest demonstrations, units of the Bharatiya Janata Party, the Shiv Sena, the Republican Party of India as well as the Nationalist Congress Party held protests isolating the Congress party over the latest hike in diesel and LPG.
Clearly, all the parties had switched to election mode and riding on the petro-products price rise issue tried to connect with the public keeping in view impending the local bodies, civic bodies elections slated in the next six months in the state.
"If the Congress party thinks that people will forget the growing inflation and the burden of steep hike in next few months, it will be grossly mistaken. The BJP will keep the issue alive till the 2014 state and Union elections," said former MP Banwarilal Purohit.
All local MLAs - Devendra Fadnavis, Vikas Kumbhare, Sudhakar Deshmukh and Krishna Khopade as well as mayor Archana Dehankar were prominently present at the Rani Jhansi Square where the party organized a demonstration. City unit chief Anil Sole and Girish Vyas also addressed the public stressing that the prices of petrol and diesel had doubled in last six years and that the fresh round of hike would further burden the already miserable life of people reeling under unchecked inflation.
A stone's throw away at Variety Square, NCP local unit headed by Ajay Patil organized a protest. Asked how as a ruling partner the NCP was holding a protest against its own government, Patil said, "The NCP was opposed to the recent hike in diesel, kerosene and LPG prices as it would hit the poor people hard. We have to support cause of the people."
Though the NCP is part of the UPA coalition, it had decided to oppose the petrol price hike, Patil added.
The Shiv Sena local unit headed by deputy mayor Shekhar Sawarbandhe held a demonstration in Rana Pratap Nagar. The RPI took out a small march from Panchsheel Square shouting slogans against the Congress and the UPA government for its failure to keep prices of essential goods under check. Apparently, the peak traffic in the evening was the target audience of protesting parties.
The first of strategy meetings for Nagpur, Wardha, Bhandara, Chandrapur and Gadchiroli districts were held here. "Such meetings for other divisions would continue till July 9," Mungantiwar added.