NEW DELHI: The Delhi State Committee of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) on Tuesday described the petrol and diesel price hike imposed by the Union Government as "unjustified and anti-people''.

Leading a demonstration here on Parliament Street, CPI (M) Central Committee member Nilotpal Basu, All-India CITU secretary Dipankar Mukherji and Delhi State CPI (M) secretary P.M.S. Grewal said the fuel price hike would add to the already spiralling inflation and compound the woes of the poor and other working people.

The Left leaders also turned down the justification being forwarded by the Government for increasing petroleum product prices and said while heavy duties were levied on these products, the private exporters of refined petroleum products were exempted from Customs duties.

A reversal of both these policies, they said, would render these price hikes unnecessary and help in stabilisation of prices of the petroleum products in the long run.

During the protest, Union Finance Minister P. Chidambaram was criticised for refusing to accept the recommendations of the Parliamentary Standing Committee and to show their anger at the move his effigy was also burnt.

Stating that a nationwide strike would be observed on June 13 against the price hike, the speakers urged people to join the protests in large numbers.

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