CHENNAI: The CPI on Sunday staged a protest here demanding an immediate rollback of the price hike for commercial LPG cylinders, alleging that the move has severely crippled small businesses and roadside eateries.
Led by CPI South Chennai District Secretary S K Siva, party workers gathered near the Panagal Building in Saidapet and raised slogans against the BJP-led Union government.
Addressing the protesters, Siva stated that the hike in commercial gas prices has forced several small-scale restaurants and street-side food stalls to shut down, directly affecting the livelihoods of thousands of workers.
He further noted that the price surge has a cascading effect on students, IT employees, and daily wage labourers who stay in hostels and depend on these affordable eateries for their daily meals.
The CPI leader hit out at the Union government for citing international conflicts, including those involving Israel and Iran, as a justification for the price hike.
He claimed that the government is siding with US interests rather than protecting the domestic economy and demanded that the Centre reduce taxes to ease the burden on the common man.
Siva also alleged that the price increase was strategically implemented only after the conclusion of elections in various states, a move the party had predicted during its campaign trails.
The party urged the Union government to convene a joint parliamentary session to address the rising cost of living and warned of further protests if the price hike is not withdrawn immediately.
The price of commercial LPG was hiked by the steepest ever Rs 993 per 19-kg cylinder on Friday, marking the third straight monthly increase due to rising global energy prices linked to the West Asia conflict.