Opposition parties press for total rollback

Urging the state government to drop cases and release those who were arrested for demonstrating against the bus fare hike, the all-party resolution also demanded that the state government withdraw the bus fare hike in toto besides recalling the announcement empowering officials to hike bus fare, as and when necessary, on their own.

The DMK-organised meeting was attended by the two Left Parties, VCK, Congress and MDMK. The leaders also appealed to the cadre of all parties to participate in the road roko in full strength.

Stalin, who attributed the marginal reduction in fare to pressure mounted by them and protesting people, said the opposition parties would meet again in a couple of days and announce the future course of action. 

Responding to ruling AIADMK’s allegation that the DMK was responsible for debt of transport corporations, Stalin said they had clarified on the issue in the Assembly and the pressing issue was only withdrawing bus fare hike and not debt of transport corporations. 

Stalin, who wrote to Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami on the bus fare hike issue, had also asked the ruling dispensation to convene the Assembly to discuss the “extraordinary situation” created by the steep upward revision of bus fare, which, the opposition alleged, was done to the tune of Rs 3,600 crore. 

It is a fact that the more than opposition parties, students have been mounting pressure on the ruling AIADMK by boycotting classes and staging road rokos across the state.