Trinamool protests gas price hike, unemployment

Days after the Narendra Modi-led Central government took charge for the second term, West Bengal's ruling Trinamool Congress on Tuesday took out rallies across the state to protest against high unemployment, hike in cooking gas prices and anticipated disinvestment in public sector companies.

Apart from taking out several rallies in each district and block, the Trinamool organised two big rallies in the city - one in north Kolkata, led by party's MP Sudip Bandyopadhyay while the other in south Kolkata, led by MP Abhishek Banerjee.

"It is unfortunate that prices of cooking gas, petrol and diesel were hiked immediately after the Narendra Modi government came to power for the second term. They do not pay heed to common people's needs," said an activist holding replica of a LPG gas cylinder.

Holding a placard against the price hike of petroleum products, a Trinamool youth wing worker said the BJP leaders "took oath to multiply people's misery".

Party leaders alleged the price hike of cooking LPG gas cylinders have been "uncontrolled" and without any legitimate explanation.

"Prices of LPG cyclinder have been hiked without any explanation. I had seen this government did not even mind to inform the Lok Sabha about any of its decision taken during the Parliament session. They do not follow any policy for raising prices cooking gas and other petroleum products," Bandypadhyay said.

With an objective to create pressure on the BJP-led Central government, particularly on the issues which directly relate to the masses, the state's ruling party kick-started its movement, keeping the 2021 Assembly elections in mind, political analysts said.

According to them, such a movement could be "morale booster" to the activists who might be disappointed with party's dismal performance in the recently-concluded Lok Sabha polls.

After the BJP-led NDA government retained power, the Statistics Ministry released the official unemployment figure, which was at 6.1 per cent - a 45-year high - in the 12-month period from July 2017 to June 2018.

Earlier this year, a report citing National Sample Survey Office's Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) data, the publication of which was withheld, also revealed similar unemployment statistics of 6.1 per cent.

Subsidised cooking gas (LPG) price was hiked by 28 paisa per cylinder recently. IANS