CPM stages protest against diesel, petrol price hike

Vijayawada: The leaders of CPM staged a protest demonstration here on Tuesday against the hike in the prices of diesel and petrol. Tension prevailed for some time when the police took the leaders of CPM into custody. The leaders and workers raised slogans against the Centre for the price hike.

The CPM leaders blocked Karl Marx Road at the busy Apsara Theatre centre and displayed placards against the diesel prices hike and raised slogans to withdraw the decision. On this occasion, CPM State secretary P Madhu said that the State and Central governments were mounting burden on the people by abnormally collecting taxes.

The original petrol cost per litre is Rs 30, but the State and Central governments were collecting taxes up to Rs 50 additionally. He said that Centre increased taxes up to 105 per cent on petrol and 330 per cent on diesel during the last four years. He wondered as to how the Centre did not bring the petrol and diesel under the Goods Services Tax (GST) regime.

He flayed the NDA government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for increasing diesel and petrol prices on daily basis. The price hike hit the fares in the transport sector, he said and added that finally it hit the interests of poor and middleclass sections. The prices of essential commodities were also skyrocketing due to petrol and diesel price hike, he stated.

He also flayed Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu for collecting taxes more compared to neighbouring states like Tamil Nadu and Odisha. He said that the prices of petrol and diesel would touch Rs 100 per litre soon. He asked the public to stage protest against the governments.

Police took the leaders and workers of CPM into custody. They were shifted to the police station and were released later. CPM State committee member Ch Babu Rao, city secretary Donepudi Kasinath and other leaders were present.