At least 21 opposition parties joined together on Monday in support of the Bharat Bandh to protest against the rise in fuel prices and rapid depreciation of the Indian rupee against the US dollar.
Among those joining the bandh are the Congress, the Left parties, Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S), Samajwadi Party (SP), Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), DMK, Trinamool Congress, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and Maharshtra Navanirman Sena (MNS).
The Biju Janata Dal (BJD), a non-NDA party, said although it is against the fuel price hike, it will not support the Bandh. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which had originally taken a similar stand, it sent its Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh to join the protest.
The impact is likely to be severe in states like West Bengal, Kerala and Karnataka. In Karnataka, government has announced a public holiday in view of the hardships faced by citizens on account of the protests.
Much to the discomfort of the Centre’s Narendra Modi government, the Indian rupee hit a new record low of 72.18, dropping 45 paise against US dollar on Monday. On fuel prices front too, there was a bad news for consumers as petrol prices increased to Rs 80.73 per litre in Delhi while prices of diesel per litre reached Rs 72.83/litre. In Mumbai, where the petroleum products were already the most expensive in the country, prices of petrol per litre increased to Rs 88.12/litre, while diesel reached Rs 77.32 per litre.
Meanwhile, top leaders from 21 opposition parties continued to stage protests across India as part of the Monday’s Bharat Bandh.
Here are the live updates;
#Bihar: The death of the child is not related to bandh or traffic jam, the relatives had left late from their home: SDO Jehanabad Paritosh Kumar on reports that a 2-year-old patient died after the vehicle was stuck in #BharathBandh protests pic.twitter.com/mE8yQRuj2H
— ANI (@ANI) September 10, 2018
- I feel that the macroeconomic price for petrol is Rs 40 and somehow the PM must ask the Petroleum Minister to think as a part of Economic Affairs Ministry& not as Petroleum minister and stop setting prices so high that people can go to the point of revolt: Subramanian Swamy, BJP- (ANI)
#BharatBandh protest over rising Fuel Prices. pic.twitter.com/1IJdGasDZp
— Partap Singh Bajwa (@Partap_Sbajwa) September 10, 2018
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- Modi government has done a number of things that were not in the interest of the nation. The time to change this government will come soon: Former prime minister Manmohan Singh
#Bihar: Loktantrik Janata Dal workers in Patna carry a motorbike on their shoulders to protest against fuel price hike pic.twitter.com/gZ41WxICKm
— ANI (@ANI) September 10, 2018
https://twitter.com/INCIndia/status/1038997360746090496
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