Congress president Rahul Gandhi launched a sharp attack on Narendra Modi and his government over the rising fuel prices and other issues. Mr Gandhi, who is leading the nationwide ‘Bharat Bandh‘ or shutdown, questioned PM Modi’s silence on fuel prices and the Rafale deal. 22 opposition parties are participating in the ‘Bharat Bandh‘ with fuel price being the key issue. Delhi’s ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which had refused to join the bandh, also sent its leaders. Top opposition leaders like Sharad Pawar, MK Stalin and Left leaders have supported the bandh, while Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress has decided to stay away. The effect of the shutdown is especially evident in Karnataka, Maharashtra, Kerala and Bihar. “The country’s people know the government is not involved in the fuel price rise,” Union Minister Ravi Shankar said.
- Rahul Gandhi was joined by his mother Sonia Gandhi and former prime minister Manmohan Singh at Delhi’s Ramlila grounds. “The (Narendra) Modi government has done a number of things that were not in the interest of the nation. The time to change this government will come soon,” Mr Singh said
- Taking a dig at PM Modi, Mr Gandhi said the prime minister often says that what has happened in the last four years of his rule has not happened in 70 years is actually true. “Hatred is being spread, one Indian is fighting the other, the country is being divided,” he said
- “Diesel, petrol price rise is out of our hands because oil producing countries have limited production… We’re not saying we can’t do anything. We’re saying this is momentary trouble,” Union Minister and senior BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad said during a press conference.
- Schools and colleges are closed in Bengaluru today after Karnataka’s ruling Janata Dal Secular, which is in alliance with the Congress, said it would support the day-long protest. Schools in Odisha too are closed, though Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik’s party has refused to back the shutdown.
- Uber and Ola drivers groups, Auto Drivers’ Association and other organisations such as Karnataka Rakshana Vedike, KSRTC, BMTC too will join the Bharat Bandhprotest in Karnataka.
- Train and road traffic were affected in many parts of Bihar. Over a dozen long route trains had to stopped at Patna, Gaya, Bhojpur, Jehanabad, Bhagalpur and Muzaffarpur railway stations.
- The Congress said it had urged party workers not to indulge in any violent protest. “I appeal to all Congress workers to make the bandh violence-free.The ruling Trinamool in West Bengal has expressed support on the issues on which the shut down has been called, but said it was against any kind of strike in the state according to the stated policy of party supremo and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
- In Tamil Nadu, DMK leader MK Stalin said the centre is not doing anything to halt the rupee’s slide against the dollar or to control the fuel prices.
- Petrol and diesel prices set new records Sunday. Petrol price was raised by 12 paise a litre and diesel by Rs. 10 paise per litre on Sunday.On Sunday, hours before the opposition-backed shutdown, the BJP government in Rajasthan announced tax cuts on petrol and diesel, which led to prices falling by Rs. 2 per litre.
- There is heavy security in Maharashtra, another BJP-ruled state, where the opposition Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party of Sharad Pawar are participating in the protest.