Protests will continue against petrol price hike: Mamata Banerjee

KOLKATA: Railway Minister Mukul Roy led a Trinamool Congress march with other party leaders and state ministers in the metropolis today against the steep hike in price of petrol with party chief Mamata Banerjee saying that the protests would continue.

"I have already said yesterday whatever I have had to say. What we say we do. Our party has organised a protest procession here against the hike. This protest will continue," Banerjee, the West Bengal Chief Minister, told reporters at the state secretariat.

Banerjee has said the 'unilateral and unjust decision' was unacceptable to her party and has demanded a rollback, but ruled out toppling the government.

The processionists marched from Hazra crossing in the south to the Gandhi statue on Mayo Road in central Kolkata, a distance of about five km under the scorching sun.

Trinamool Congress leader Madan Mitra who is the transport and sports minister told reporters "We did not go for bandh or road blockade to oppose the hike. We are registering our opposition through street protest at the instruction of our leader Mamata Banerjee."

Stating that the Trinamool Congress was a pro-poor party, he said "We are against the price hike. We are the most important ally of UPA, but we have not been consulted. We cannot accept this burden on the common people."

The processionists shouted slogans and carried posters against the price hike of petrol.

The posters demanded that the Centre should reply why the price of petrol was increased and the party would not accept it.

Municipal Affairs ministers Firhad Hakim, Fire Services minister Javed Khan, party MP Subrata Buxi, trade union wing president Dola Sen, chief whip Sobhandeb Chattopadhhya also took part in the procession.

Khan claimed "The message that the Trinamool Congress is on the streets has already reached the Central government. We have heard that the Centre is already mulling partial rollback of the price."