Left leaders court arrest, stage demo against price rise

Top Left leaders and activists on Thursday courted arrest after staging a massive demonstration here as part of their nation-wide agitation to protest the government's "failure" to check rising prices of essential commodities.

Top Left leaders and activists on Thursday courted arrest after staging a massive demonstration here as part of their nation-wide agitation to protest the government's "failure" to check rising prices of essential commodities.

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Top Left leaders Prakash Karat (CPI-M), A B Bardhan and D Raja (CPI) and Abani Roy (RSP) were among those who courted arrest, police said.

A group of activists then tried to enter the Parliament Street Police Station and police had to use water cannons to disperse them.

Shouting slogans against the government, the activists gathered at Jantar Mantar this morning as part of a nation-wide 'jail bharo' agitation announced by the four Left parties.

In a bid to intensify the anti-price rise movement, CPI(M) has begun preliminary consultations with other secular opposition parties like the TDP, JD(U), SP, BSP and RJD, party sources said.

A national-level action call is expected when these talks are formalised, the sources said, adding a meeting of the outfits and the Left parties is likely to be held before the Budget Session of Parliament resumes on April 15.