The Hindu : National : BJP to step up protests

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Jun 14, 2006

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National

BJP to step up protests

Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI : The Bharatiya Janata Party's nationwide agitation against the increase in oil price will be intensified with demonstrations planned in every district headquarters and State capital for June 19.

The party has also demanded that a joint parliamentary committee go into the large number of suicides by farmers. The committee should come up with recommendations to address the core issue of indebtedness, it said.

Party leader M. Venkaiah Naidu said here on Tuesday that the State units were asked to ensure the presence of State-level leaders in the protests in all districts. Central leaders would travel to State capitals to participate in the demonstrations.On June 21 the general secretaries would review here the weeklong agitation and suggest ways to carry on with the protest until the Centre rolled back the price increase.

Assails Left

The BJP is attacking the Left parties, more than the Congress, charging them with "duplicity" in supporting the government while opposing its policies on the streets. Mr. Naidu said: "They wave the green flag inside and come out with red flags on the streets outside."

This time the BJP is determined not to let the Left occupy the opposition space, as it has done on several other issues. The party has held the Left responsible for the policies of a government which could not survive for a single day without its support.

Mr. Naidu warned that the United Progressive Alliance already took a decision on yet another "anti-people" measure — reduction in the quantity of foodgrains under the public distribution system; increasing the price of rationed foodgrains; lower procurement and import of wheat that would hurt farmers.

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