Petrol price hike: BJP, Left call for bandh on May 31

New Delhi - 24 May 2012 (PTI): The steepest-ever hike in petrol prices fuelled protests in several parts of the country on Thursday, as oppositionNDAand the Left gave a call for a nationwide bandh on May 31, dubbing the price increase a "savage attack" on the people.

In an action plan where the Left and the right will come together to demand a rollback of the "anti-people" decision, the BJP-led NDA gave a 'Bharat Bandh' call for May 31 whileLeft partieswill observe the day as 'All India Protest Day' that will include strikes, picketing, rasta roko and rallies against the hike.

A dawn-to dusk hartal called separately by LDF and BJP in Kerala partially affected normal life across the state.

Protests were also reported at some places in Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Haryana, Odisha and Uttar Pradesh.

The announcement for the 'Bharat Bandh', which was also called in protest against the rise in prices of essential commodities, was made both by senior BJP leaderL K Advaniand JD(U) president Sharad Yadav in their capacity as NDA's acting chairman and convenor respectively.

BJP spokespersonRavi Shankar Prasadsaid that after consultation with all the allies Advani on behalf of the NDA has announced that the opposition alliance will organise a bandh across the country in the wake of the "enormous" hike of petrol prices and the deep sense of anger among people.

The BJP appealed to the people to make the bandh a great success with Advani saying the hike is an "anti-people move" by the government.

Rejecting government's argument that the hike has been effected by petroleum companies as the pricing of petrol stands deregulated, Yadav said, "This is an eyewash... We (NDA) are going to observe a 'Bharat Bandh' on May 31."

Demanding a roll back,Shiv SenasupremoBal Thackeraysaid aBharat bandhis "acceptable" to the party. Reports from different districts in Kerala said shops remained closed in cities and towns and private buses were largely off the roads. Private vehicles are plying and no violence has been reported from anywhere, police said.

Opposition parties inAndhra Pradeshincluding Telugu Desam, CPM and CPI and BJP staged protests in Vijayawada city and in towns in Krishna district. In Jammu, the city's BJP unit led by district president Rajesh Gupta took out a protest march riding on the horse cart. Protests were also reported in Ahmedabad, Bhubaneswar, Kanpur and Gurgaon.