NEW DELHI: Several Communist Party of India (Marxist) activists and policemen were injured when a demonstration in protest against price rise and inflation at Parliament Street here on Tuesday turned violent.

"The police were forced to use water cannons when the demonstrators tried to jump over the third row of barricades to march towards Parliament," said a senior police officer, adding that the demonstrators then resorted to stone-throwing injuring some policemen. Four CPI (M) activists also sustained injuries and were taken to a hospital.

Earlier, addressing the meeting, CPI (M) Polit Bureau member Sitaram Yechury accused the Union Government of failing to take effective measures to check price rise. He said the price rise could have been controlled had the Government curbed futures trading in essential commodities, revised the tax structure for petroleum products and strengthened the public distribution system.

Several CPI (M) leaders addressed the meeting. Holding the policies of the Government responsible for the high rate of inflation and steep increase in the prices of essential commodities, they termed the recent reduction in petrol and diesel prices as a belated step.

The leaders demanded revision of the tax structure for petroleum products, adequate procurement of food grains, strengthening of the public distribution system and curbing futures trading in food grains and other essential commodities.

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