The BJP on Tuesday announced a nationwide agitation, including a two-hour 'rasta roko'(road blockade) on Wednesday to protest the hike in petrol and diesel prices and the UPA government's "failure to hold the price line".
Announcing the agitation programme in Bhubaneswar, party president Rajnath Singh said the 'rasta roko' would be held between 11 am and 1 pm with party workers being asked to organise protests everywhere.
The BJP would also like to have its NDA allies join the protest as the steep hike was bound to push up prices of all other essential commodities, he said.
Petrol price up Rs 4, diesel Rs 2 a litre
He, however, urged party workers to ensure that school children, ambulances and people carrying bodies for cremation were not inconvenienced during the blockade.
"The UPA government has increased the prices of petrol and diesel for an unprecedented seventh time within the last two years, amounting to a betrayal of the masses," Singh said, lashing out at the latest hike in the price of fuel.
The price of petrol had risen by 45 per cent in the last two years while that of diesel had gone up by 49 per cent during the same period, he added.
Left parties to protest on June 13
Left parties on Tuesday decided to observe an all-India protest day on June 13, coinciding their call with that of the central trade unions, to protest the hike in prices of petrol and diesel and demand a rollback.
Samajwadi Party, TDP, Asom Gana Parishad and RLD have also decided to join the nationwide protest, the Left parties said adding other non-Congress, non-BJP parties were being contacted to join the action programme.
The CPI(M), CPI, RSP and Forward Bloc have also asked their state units to immediately carry out demonstrations, rallies and picketing in various parts to culminate in the nationwide protest action on June 13, the parties said in a statement.
The Left parties said the protests would also include courting arrest and general strike and asked the state units to decide at their level what form of protest action could be undertaken.
Meanwhile, RSP leader Abani Roy demanded a rollback of the hike. He lashed out at Finance Minister P Chidambaram saying he was not working for the common people as he had ignored the alternative proposals submitted by the Left parties, which could have reduced the burden on the people.
