Trade union members stage protest in Coimbatore
The Hindu
Members of nine trade unions arrested and released after staging protests against the BJP government's policies.
Members of nine trade unions who staged protests in Coimbatore and Tiruppur districts on Friday were arrested and released later in the day.
They took part in the nation-wide protests called by the unions, including AITUC, HMS, INTUC, LPF, CITU, and AICCTU against the BJP government. The workers staged demonstrations in five locations in Coimbatore district and at six places in Tiruppur district.
The protesters demanded GST exemption for essential commodities, withdrawal of the labour codes, assuring housing for all and free education, sanitation, and water for all, fixing ₹26,000 as minimum wages at the national level, and stopping privatisation of public sector undertakings and government departments.
Political economist Parakala Prabhakar has described the exit poll results as “fudged figures”, saying that those would benefit the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) only. “False predictions were given with the sole objective of helping the NDA in rigging during the counting,” alleged Mr. Prabhakar, after releasing a book titled ‘Avineeti Chakravarthi Narendra Modi’ penned by former Minister Vadde Shobanadreeswara Rao, here, on June 2 (Sunday).