BSP protests against price rise in Allahabad

ALLAHABAD - Activists and supporters of the ruling Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) staged a rally in Allahabad on Tuesday to blame Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government for the steep price of essential commodities.

The demonstrators held public meetings on the roadside and raised slogans against the Congress-led government at the Centre and criticised the economic policies of the government.

Protestors also criticised the Centre’s failure to curb inflationary trends which are affecting the general public.

The protest, however, remained peaceful. It didn’t cause any disruption to normal life. Some of the protestors acted like beggars to draw Centre’s attention to common’s man actual condition.

“By begging, we wanted to show that most of the people in India are very poor. If the Central government suddenly raises price of petroleum products especially kerosene, the BPL (below poverty line) card holders or the people who are just above poverty line, will have no choice left other than begging,” said Harsh Vardhan Vajypayee, a local leader of BSP, Allahabad.

Reportedly, elsewhere in the state, senior party leaders and ministers attended the protest rallies in their respective constituencies.

It may be recalled that recently, the government raised the price of petrol by rupees 3.73 and diesel by rupees 2 per litre.

Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance and Left Front-led many other Opposition parties staged nationwide protests on Monday to criticise the Central government against high fuel prices that have affected prices of other related commodities.

BSP was not part of the Monday’s protest. (ANI)