Newmai News Network
IMPHAL | April 9
The Manipur State Council of CPI also started its month-long protest against price hike of petroleum products and essential commodities in Imphal on Friday.
It can be mentioned here that Congress party has been already into a series of protest on the same issue as a part of party’s “Mehengai Mukt Bharat Dharna and Manch” which was kicked off on April 2 last.
The CPI kicked off the protest with a sit-in-protest staged in front of the CPI office in Imphal’s Irawat Bhavan.
Talking to reporters during the protest, CPI national executive member, Dr M Nara Singh alleged that the constant price hike of petroleum products has led to the skyrocketing prices of essential commodities. "The constant price hike has put a heavy burden on the heads of the common people, middle class people and daily wage workers," he added.
The CPI leader then ridiculed claims made by BJP leaders’ assertion relating the price hike of petroleum products with Ukraine-Russia conflict. The CPI leader said that it was a baseless claim and fooling the people.
Dr Nara then said that the Ukraine-Russia conflict started from February 28 when Russia attacked Ukraine while the prices of petroleum products in the country started from the last week of March, just after the Assembly elections to five states including Manipur. "Besides, there is no change in the price of the crude oil in the international market following the Ukraine-Russia conflict," he pointed out. “Russia exports crude oil but they do not hike the price for a single pie,” he also said.
Dr Nara also alleged that the BJP government at the Centre hiked the prices of petroleum products in the interest of the corporates, the business people and the rich.
He further alleged that BJP is a party financed by corporates and big business people and after coming to power, it is working in the interest of those who financed the party.
The senior CPI leader then called upon not only the public but also other political parties to join the protest while alleging that BJP is an anti-people party and time has come to raise voices against such a party financed by the corporates and business people.
