After Trinamool supremo and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee hit the street, 88-year-old Karunanidhi would lead the party's state-wide demonstrations by taking part in a protest at Saidapet.
In a move to upstage arch rival DMK, the ruling AIADMK had yesterday announced demonstrations on May 29 demanding immediate rollback of petrol price hike of over Rs 7.50 a litre.
In Agartala, ruling Left Front today called for a 12-hour general strike in Tripura on May 31 to protest against the fuel rate increase.
Meanwhile, Minister of State in the PMO V Narayanasamy has said states could reduce the VAT on petroleum products to provide relief to the people.
"The states can lower the VAT and that can help reduce the petrol price," he told reporters here last night.
In a letter to his partymen earlier, Karunanidhi has asked them to ensure success of the May 30 protest.
He had also asked the Jayalalithaa Government to lower the sales tax on petrol as was done during the previous DMK regime.
Announcing the participation of Karunanidhi in the protest, DMK MLA and the party's South Chennai District Secretary J Anbazhagan, in a statement here today, urged partymen to make it a success.
UPA's outside supporter Samajwadi Party has already given a call for a state-wide bandh in Uttar Pradesh on May 31 to press for roll back of petrol price increase.
Joining the growing opposition to the hike, the ruling BJD in Odisha also gave a call for a state-wide bandh on May 31 to demand an immediate rollback.
