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Left parties slam fuel price hike, threaten stir

By IANS,

Kolkata : The Left parties in West Bengal Friday slammed the price rise of fuels and threatened to start a mass movement against the frequent fuel hike.

Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) state secretariat member Rabin Deb said the increase in diesel, kerosene and cooking gas rates would only add to the burden of the common man.

“The price rise was halted for the assembly elections in five states. Now the elections are over so they have raised the prices. It will do no good except burdening the common man. We condemn this,” Deb told IANS.

Revolutionary Socialist Party state secretary (interim) Kshiti Goswami said the left parties would launch a mass movement against the announcement.

“The rise in diesel, kerosene and cooking gas prices, will only worsen matters for the common man who is already facing the heat of price escalation. We will protest against it and we will organise mass movements opposing this,” said Goswami.

The government Friday announced a hike in the price of diesel by Rs.3 per litre, kerosene by Rs.2 a litre and LPG by Rs.50 per cylinder.

This was announced by Petroleum Minister S. Jaipal Reddy after a meeting of the Empowered Group of Ministers in New Delhi.

“These policies are anti-people. The poor people and the middle class will be most affected by this decision. It will again increase the inflation rate and the price rise of essentials,” Forward Bloc state secretariat member Naren Chatterjee told IANS.