Left parties continue protest against price hike
Source: Chronicle News Service
Imphal, June 20 2021:
The fifth day of the ongoing protest by Left parties against rising fuel prices saw members of CPI, CPI-M, RSP and AIFB staging sit-in at Salam Maning Leikai of Lamsang AC, Imphal East district and Sayang Pukhri Mapal of Sagolband AC on Sunday.
Speaking on the sidelines of the protest staged at Salam Maning Leikai which was attended by CPI leader Meitram Kesho; CPI secretary L Sotinkumar charged the present BJP government of being anti-people and expressed strong resentment that the people especially the daily wage earners are bearing the brunt of incompetency of the present regime.
As such, such apathetic acts of the government need to be kept in check, he added.
CPI-Manipur Secretariat member Sarat Salam said that the excise duty on fuel imposed by the central government and the VAT imposed by the state government needs to be lowered so as to control the fuel price.
Any failure to do would put a heavy financial burden on the people of the country, he remarked.
Meanwhile, speaking at the protest staged at Sayang Pukhri Mapal, CPI-M Manipur State Council secretary Kshetrimayum Shanta pointed out that the statements made by the BJP spokesperson comparing the current rate of fuel prices with the rate during Congress' rule is similar to the folk tale "Keishal gi Lichat" .
It would be best to drop this "Lichat" (habit) and instead work to reduce the present hike on petroleum products, he remarked.
During the protest, which was attended by Seram Mohori, slogans against the government were also raised.