CPI cadre stage protest condemning Centre for price rise, unemployment

CPI cadre arrested for protesting against BJP's 'failures' on various fronts, including spiralling prices of essential commodities and attempts to 'divide' people on religious lines. CPI accused BJP of not providing jobs, promoting privatisation of PSUs, imposing wrong GST, and not respecting Constitution.

Scores of cadre of Communist Party of India were arrested when they staged a dharna here on Tuesday urging the Bharatiya Janata Party to relinquish power in the Centre for its ‘failures’ on various fronts.

The protest was led by All India Students’ Federation State president Dinesh and party Madurai urban district secretary M.S. Murugan.

The protest was part of nation-wide agitation of the party against the Centre for spiralling price of essential commodities and attempts to ‘divide’ the people on the lines of religions.

Mr. Murugan said that the BJP came to power with the promise of providing jobs to 2 crore people every year. But, hundreds of jobs had been lost in the public sector units. Besides, the Centre was promoting privatisation of PSUs, he charged.

Similarly, the imposition of the wrong GST had broken the backbone of several industrial units, he said.

While cooking gas cylinders used to cost ₹ 400 in 2014, its price has now crossed ₹ 1,200. Similarly, the price of petrol has also been increased to unprecedented level.

“The Centre is solely responsible for the increase of prices of these essential commodities,” he said.