CHENNAI: The AIADMK, on Monday took to the streets to protest the recent hike in petrol prices. The protests were held across the State, with separate meetings in all 52 party districts, and demanded that the Centre immediately repeal the hike.
The protest by the ruling party came a day ahead of the protest by archrival DMK, a compenent of the UPA government at the Centre. Speakers predicted quick doom for the UPA government and said that their leader J Jayalalithaa was poised to become the Prime Minister. They attacked the DMK for continuing to be part of the UPA despite the steep hike in petrol prices.
“They are part of the government. Why are they holding a protest? If they are sincere in raising their voice against the hike they would have quit the UPA by now,” said senior AIADMK leader C Ponnaiyan, at a meeting off Mount Road.
The protests were held at four places in Chennai - near the BSNL office in Ashok Nagar, near Tarapore Towers just off Mount Road, outside Memorial Hall and in KH Road in Korukkupet.
Senior party functionaries and ministers in the Jayalalithaa’s cabinet took part in the meetings. Visalakshi Nedunchezhiyan, Ponnaniyan, Sulochana Sampath and E Madhusudhanan presided over the four meetings in Chennai respectively. The respective district secretaries G Senthamizhan, VP Kalairajan, Purasai M Krishnan and Vetrivel took part, apart from senior party leaders like Rajya Sabha MP V Maitreyan and Chennai Mayor Saidai Duraisamy. more: p5