The Opposition is all set to corner the UPA government over the `7.50 hike in petrol prices announced on Wednesday. Senior BJP leader L.K. Advani, who was in Mumbai on Thursday to attend BJP’s national executive meeting, gave a call for Bharat Bandh on May 31 on behalf of the National Democratic Alliance to protest against the hike.
The Left parties have also decided to hold protests around the country on the same day.
“To protest against the arbitrary hike (in petrol price), the NDA has decided to organise a day-long peaceful protest including a bandh in the entire country on May 31. I appeal to the people of the country to fully cooperate and participate in this peaceful protest,” Mr Advani said.
The BJP leader further said that Wednesday’s decision to increase the petrol price will create further miseries and discomfort to the people of the community who are already suffering great difficulty because of severe price rise.
“The price rise is going on unabated under the UPA government. In fact the government has completely run out of ideas as far as management of inflation, particularly food inflation is concerned. In the history of the country, there has never been such a steep rise on a single day in the price of petrol. The gross mismanagement of economy by the UPA is significantly responsible of this. The common man is going to be the biggest sufferer,” Mr Advani said.