DMK to support Cong-sponsored Bharat Bandh against fuel price hike

Chennai: The DMK Friday announced it would extend its support to the Congress party’s nationwide shutdown on September 10 over rising fuel prices and said it would play an active part in making it a success.

Conveying his party’s “whole-hearted support,” party president M K Stalin said the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) would “enthusiastically take part and cooperate to make the shutdown a complete success”.

The DMK chief urged all sections of people, including government employees, teachers, traders and state transport corporation workers, to voluntarily support the bandh to “teach the BJP government a fitting lesson”.

It was a matter of concern and anguish that fuel prices were rising fast to touch the Rs 100 per litre mark, he said in a statement, adding that even when crude prices fell, the Centre had not passed on the benefit to the people.

Accusing the BJP government of not being bothered about the public or their purchasing power, he alleged that the Centre did not take any steps to rein in the “dangerous and unprecedented” fuel price rise and stop the slide of the rupee against the dollar. Stalin accused Oil Marketing Companies of putting on hold the hike in fuel prices only during elections in states favourable to the BJP and increasing it after conclusion of polls.

He said the government has “pushed the people to the streets” to protest against the price rise. The Congress had Thursday called a Bharat Bandh to protest against the rising fuel prices. It had said that the nationwide shutdown has the support of most of the opposition parties.