Click to play videoNew Delhi: Left leaders Prakash Karat, Sitaram Yechury, A B Bardhan, Abani Roy and Debabrata Biswas on Tuesday courted arrest along with hundreds of supporters as part of protests against the recent hike in fuel prices by the UPA Government.
Terming the price hike as "unjustifiable and irrational", they demanded a total roll back urging the Government to rationalise the tax structure instead of putting the burden on the common man.
Before courting arrest, hundreds of activists of CPI(M), CPI, RSP and Forward Bloc staged a demonstration at Jantar Mantar as part of the nationwide agitations which began on Tuesday.
Addressing the gathering, CPI(M) General Secretary Prakash Karat criticised the move by Congress-led state governments to reduce state-level taxes on petrol and diesel to cushion the impact of the price hike.
He also said the Centre should first reduce taxes to make fuel cheaper instead of passing the entire burden on the states.
Karat said the hike in fuel price could have been avoided had the Government implemented the alternatives suggested by the Left parties, including slashing customs and excise duties on crude imports.
"We have also suggested that the oil cess fund, amounting to Rs 1,25,000 crore, could be converted into a price stabilisation fund so that entire burden of global crude price hike was not passed onto the consumers," he said.
Left parties have refused to reduce sales tax for petroleum products in states ruled by them even though Congress governments in Andhra Pradesh and Goa have announced such cuts and Delhi too is expected to follow suit.
Last week, the Government increased the prices of petrol by Rs four per litre and diesel by Rs two per litre to cut the losses of state-run oil marketing companies that have been hit by soaring global crude prices.
Samajwadi Party leader Usha Yadav, RLD's Shamshad Choudhary, JDS' Surendra Mohan also courted arrest at the Parliament Street police station.
The Left is also goiong to mount another attack on UPA's economic and foreign policy at the coordination committee meeting on Thursday. Left leaders said that they wanted to give the UPA suggestions on how to increase it's revenue without burdening the common man.
They also hope that the Government will listen to them and give the Airports Authority of India, the contract to modernise airports.
Demonstrations were also held in Communist-ruled West Bengal, Tripura and Kerela.
The dawn-to-dusk general strike called by pro-Left trade unions against the hike in the price of petrol and diesel paralysed normal life in Kerala.
The general strike had the semblance of a 'bandh' with shops and business establishments remaining closed in all parts of the state and vehicles keeping off the roads.
The Private Bus Operators' Federation and transport unions joined in the strike in Kerala.
Over 3000 Left party workers, including CPI National Secretary D Raja, were taken into custody from various parts of Tamil Nadu when they attempted to picket Central Government offices to protest the price hike.
(With inputs from agencies)
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