By IANS,
Mumbai : The Communist Party of India (CPI) Tuesday warned that close on the heels of the recent petrol price hike, people may soon be hit by an increase in the cooking gas price.
Newly-appointed CPI general secretary Sudhakar Reddy was outlining details of a proposed all-India agitation called by the main opposition parties in protest against the petrol price hike. Reddy said that the need of the hour is to demand a national sales tax policy on all petro-products.
He said that the nationwide agitation is being organised as not only the vehicle owners but common people are also affected. “Hike in fuel leads to a chain reaction,” Reddy said.
Reddy told media-persons said that the May 31 agitation is not merely restricted to downing shutters. “It can be in any form, a shutdown, picketing or just pure demonstrations since we have to make a point to the government,” he said.
To a query on the centre’s appeal to states to reduce taxes on petro-products, Reddy pointed out that charity begins at home.
The centre should first reduce the duties and only then it can ask the states to go in for tax reduction. If this is not done then it may be too late to stop hunger deaths, Reddy cautioned.