MYSORE: Activists belonging to four different political parties joined together and staged a protest against the recent increase in fuel prices at K.R. Circle here, disrupting traffic in the city.

Activists of the All India Progressive Janata Dal, the Samajwadi Party and Left parties congregated at K.R. Circle to register their protest against the Centre's move. They staged a rasta roko for more than twenty minutes, blocking vehicular movement on all four roads leading out of K.R. Circle.

Traffic on Sayyaji Rao Road, D. Devaraj Urs Road, Chamaraja Circle and other roads connecting to K.R. Circle was thrown out of gear for almost one hour. Activists of the Communist Party of India (CPI) led by the party's Mysore unit secretary K. Venkataramaiah and Communist Party of India (Marxists) led by Mysore district committee secretary N.S. Prabhakar arrived at K.R. Circle, holding party flags and shouting slogans against the Centre for repeatedly increasing the price of petrol and diesel.

They were joined by a procession of Samajwadi party activists led by the party's State general secretary P. Govindaraju. Later, a group belonging to All India Progressive Janata Dal, led by former Mayors Narayan and Ananthu, joined the protestors.

In a pamphlet, brought out by the four political parties, the recent increase in fuel prices was described as "rubbing salt in the wounds" of ordinary people who were affected by the rise in prices of essential commodities.

Decision criticised

The pamphlet condemned the Government's move to increase the prices of fuel despite opposition from Left parties.

The fifth hike in prices of fuel since the UPA Government came to power would have a direct impact on the people owing to the increase in cost of transportation of goods.

The four parties said the Bharatiya Janata Party had no moral right to protest against the hike in fuel prices as it was during the National Democratic Alliance's (NDA) tenure that the price of petrol, diesel and cooking gas went up. "Even the price of kerosene, which is used by the poor, went up four-fold during its tenure," the pamphlet said.

"If the prices of kerosene and cooking gas have not been increased in the recent hike, it is owing to the intervention of Left parties and others, which are supporting the Unite Progressive Alliance Government," the parties said.

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