BJP demands roll back of petrol price hike

Condemning the raising of petrol prices by oil marketing companies from Saturday midnight, the Bharatiya Janata Party on Sunday staged a dharna in front of its party office at Nampally and burnt effigies depicting the United Progressive Alliance Government and Congress president Sonia Gandhi.

Raising slogans against the Centre, the activists, led by senior leader Bandaru Dattatreya staged the dharna and disrupted traffic for some time by forming a human chain.

Addressing the activists, Mr Dattatreya said “This is the second hike in petrol prices within a month, and it will surely have an impact of price of essential commodities.”

“The UPA governments instead of taking steps to control inflation, increased petrol price by Rs 2.54 per litre burdening further the common man and poor,” he added.

Demanding that the Centre take immediate steps and revoke the Petrol Price Hike immediately, the senior leader said that the BJP would intensify its agitation in the state soon.

He also expressed deep anguish at the death of 104 devotees of Lord Ayyappa in the stampede which occurred at Sabarimalai in Kerala. Mr Dattatrey demanded that the Kerala government take steps to ensure that such incidents are not repeated by erecting barricades and providing proper infrastructure facilities and amenities to Ayyappa devotees.

Senior party leader Baddam Balreddy and city president Venkata Reddy also took part in the dharna.