Bharat Bandh today

New Delhi: The Congress has called for Bharat Bandh on Monday against the rising fuel prices. While other Opposition parties like DMK, NCP, RJD, JD(S), have extended their support, the Congress has also asked civil society groups and NGOs to join the nationwide protest.

The bandh will be observed across the country on Monday between 9 am and 3 pm. Congress communication department head Randeep Surjewala said the timing of the bandh is such that “the common man is not inconvenienced”.

Stating the increase in fuel prices and excise duties on them as the reason behind the call for Bharat Bandh, the Opposition accused the BJP government of fleecing the common man. An immediate reduction of central excise duty and excessive VAT in the states, bringing petrol and diesel under the ambit of GST are amongst some of the demands of the Opposition.

Surjewala claimed the prices of petrol and diesel have gone up by around 50 per cent while the excise duties on petrol and diesel have risen by 211 and 443 per cent, respectively, since 2014. Blaming the BJP-led NDA government for failing on multiple fronts, rebel JD(U) leader Sharad Yadav also raised the issue of increasing attacks against Scheduled Castes, Tribes and OBCs. 

Congress leader Ashok Gehlot said the bandh is to awaken the government and vent the people’s anger. While the Left parties have given a separate call for bandh on the same day, the Trinamool Congress will organise street protests but would not enforce a shutdown in West Bengal. Parties like the RJD, JD(S), JVM and JMM have also lent their support to the call for bandh.

The Bharat Bandh will be observed in several states like Maharashtra, Bihar Karnataka, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, where regional Opposition parties have come in support of the bandh call. 

Top opposition leaders, including Congress’s Ashok Gehlot and Ahmed Patel, CPM general secretary Sitaram Yechury and NCP’s Tariq Anwar met at Sharad Yadav’s residence during which the decision to call a bandh was finalised.