NEW DELHI: Upping the ante against the NDA government, the Congress has called for a nationwide protest against rising fuel prices and inflation on September 10.
"The atmosphere in the country has been polarised, fuel prices are at peak. This mismanagement of economy has led to high prices. When fuel prices were rising during UPA regime, taxes were reduced to take the burden off people," said Ashok Gehlot, Congress general secretary in-charge, organisation.
"We appeal to all the people to join us in protests in every corner of the country on September 10," he said, urging the activists and NGOs to join hands with the party.
All like-minded Opposition parties have agreed to join the Congress protests on September 10, demanding reduction in prices in petrol and diesel, party's communications department chief Randeep Surjewala said.
However, the Left parties announced that they would hold an independent protest. Alleging that unprecedented economic burden was being mounted on the people by the Modi government, the Left parties said the exponentially rising prices of petroleum products were having a crippling effect on the livelihood of crores of people.
"The farmers were already groaning under mounting agrarian distress, their production cost has further escalated. The price rise has a cascading all-round inflationary impact. This is contributing to a further economic slowdown reducing existing employment, leave alone creating nay new opportunity," said a joint statement issued by five Left parties.
According to Congress, the rupee is at all-time low. Modi government in the last four years levied taxes on fuel and earned Rs 11,00,000 crore.