Left Front refuses to trust Deora, to go by PM's statement

Refusing to attach any importance to Petroleum Minister Murli Deora's statement ruling out the possibility of rollback, Left Front Chairman Biman Bose, also a CPI(M) Politburo member, today said that the LF would react only if the prime minister spoke on the issue.

He reiterated that the fuel price hike could have been avoided if the Centre had rationalised the duty structure.

Meanwhile, drawing up a week-long programme of protest, the Front today said that a partial reduction was unacceptable and there should be a complete rollback of the hike in prices of petrol and diesel.

"A partial rollback is unacceptable. We will carry out an extensive campaign to put pressure on the UPA government to roll back the price hike. The people have been hit by the price increase and as we are concerned about the people's interests, we have to launch a movement," Biman Bose told reporters after a Front meeting.

Announcing details of the protest, he said that a sit-in demonstration would be organised in front of the regional offices of oil PSUs here on June 13 when a 'protest day' would be observed nationwide.

The form of protest has been left to the state units of Left parties, which might include general strike and 'dharna' (sit-in).

The Left parties, which would organise rallies against the price hike throughout the state today, would campaign in markets in the city and the districts on June 11, while protest meetings, involving workers, would be held in front of the gates of factories on June 12, he said.

Processions would also be organised in rural areas in which peasants organisations have been asked to join.