By IANS,
New Delhi : Accusing the central government of betraying the interests of the common man, Janata Dal-United (JD-U) president Sharad Yadav Friday urged the youth to come out on the streets July 5 for a nationwide shutdown against rising prices.
Talking to reporters here, Yadav said opposition parties had given a call for ‘Bharat Bandh’ to protest the “complete failure of the government” in controlling prices.
“I want to call upon all youngsters, especially students, to come out on the streets in protest against the rising prices,” Yadav said.
He said the call for the nationwide strike had been given by the JD-U, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M), Communist Party of India (CPI), Revolutionary Socialist Party, Forward Bloc, Samajwadi Party, AIADMK, Telugu Desam Party, Biju Janata Dal, Janata Dal, Indian National Lok Dal, Shiromani Akali Dal and the Shiv Sena.
Asking the people of Delhi to be aware of “what we are facing today”, he said: “If we don’t raise our voice today, this government will continue to take advantage of our silence. We should all come out strongly against the government’s oppressive policies. The people of Delhi need to wake up and agitate against the policies of the government.”
Pointing out that the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government came to power on the promise of working for the common man, he said its decisions were instead hurting the common man.
“The situation reminds me of the emergency days and how the common man’s survival was threatened then,” he said.
Yadav said the July 5 shutdown will be a historic event.
“Never before have all opposition parties from all parts of the country united in such a manner,” he said.