Petrol price hike: BJP to hold rallies

Senior BJP leaders will participate in rallies, processions and public meetings at different places across the country on May 31 as part of the nation-wide bandh called by NDA to oppose the steep hike in petrol price.

Senior BJP leaders will participate in rallies, processions and public meetings at different places across the country on May 31 as part of the nation-wide bandh called by NDA to oppose the steep hike in petrol price.

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"Party leaders, including MP's would take part in rallies and also hold public meetings to protest against the anti-people policies and steep hike in prices of essential commodities by the corrupt UPA Government in connivance with mafias of vested interest," BJP vice president Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said.

In a statement, Naqvi blamed "wide spread corruption" at every level of government for the "unabated" price rise.

He said despite record food grain production and fall in international crude prices, the UPA government has hiked prices of petrol, LPG and diesel every two months.

Holding that here is an unholy nexus between the "scamster's and inflation mafia" within the government, he said the UPA government has once again proved that it is implementing the agenda of the oil mafia by effecting steep increase in petrol prices.

Naqvi said if the government was indeed sensitive to popular concerns, it should have reduced central levies to the tune of Rs 1,50,000 crore per annum.

In this context, he said despite record production of food grains by Indian farmers, it is being imported at ten times the cost and distributed in the Indian market while the domestic produce is being allowed to rot in godowns," he alleged.