PUDUCHERRY: Activists of the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI), Students Federation of India (SFI) and All India Democratic Women’s Association (AIDWA) staged a rail roko condemning the BJP-led Union government’s decision to hike railway fares and demanded its roll back.
The cadre raised slogans against the Centre and State governments and sat on the tracks in front of the Chennai-Puducherry fast passenger train. Fifty of the activists were arrested following the agitation.
DFYI leader Saravanan said the Central government’s decision to hike ticket fares by 14.2 per cent came at a time when people were reeling under price rise of essential commodities. The 6.5 per cent hike in freight charges will have a cascading effect on prices of essential commodities and this will put further burden on the common man he added.
He said the BJP government should roll back the hike and reverse the decision of the previous Congress regime to deregulate the prices of the petroleum products.
The Left organizations’ leaders also urged the Centre not to increase the price of cooking gas, which was put on hold for the time being. They also charged the Centre for not making plans to contain inflation.