THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Finance Minister K N Balagopal has given the Opposition parties a stick to beat the government with his budget proposals to hike taxes for several items, especially the Rs 2 per litre cess on fuel prices. The Congress will observe February 4 as a black day.
The UDF is also planning a series of protests against the budget proposals. State Congress president K Sudhakaran warned the government of fierce agitations against “the anti-people budget proposals”. The protests will continue until the government backtracks from the decision.
Leader of Opposition V D Satheesan alleged that the government was looting the people of the state.
The state BJP is also planning a series of protests. The state committee meeting to be held on February 4 in Kochi will decide the future course of action.
“Party will organise state-wide protests against the government,” said Surendran.
The Youth Congress and the Yuva Morcha workers took out protest marches to the secretariat on Friday evening and burned copies of the budget. The workers blocked the MG road for hours. A small tussle between police and the workers had also occurred.