New Delhi:
The Samajwadi Party government in Uttar Pradesh has called for a 'bandh' in the state in protest against the petrol price hike on May 31.
The call for 'bandh' by the Samjwadi Party came after several political parties announced protests against the price hike. West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee will march from Jadavpur to Hazra on Saturday in south Kolkata in protest. The DMK, an ally of the UPA at the Centre, has announced "peaceful protest" in front of collector's offices across Tamil Nadu on May 30. The BJP-led NDA and the Left parties have also called a "Bharat bandh" on May 31 in protest against the petrol price hike.
Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav, along with several other leaders, had demanded a rollback of the price hike. The Samajwadi Party slammed it as a "gift" to the common man from the government on completion of its three years in office.
"We demand immediate roll back of the petrol price hike. The decision is anti-people. UPA government has given this gift to the common man on completion of its three years' rule," SP spokesman Rajendra Chowdhury had said on Wednesday. He had then warned that the Samajwadi party would protest against the decision and raise its voice against the "unreasonable hike".
The government has been under attack since Wednesday after it allowed a huge hike of Rs. 6.28 a litre exclusive of taxes in the price of petrol.