M A I N   N E W S

Oppn, SP call for strike on Sept 20
KV Prasad/TNS

New Delhi, September 15
Opposition parties and UPA ally, the Samajwadi Party, today decided to collectively protest the fresh reform-oriented moves by the Congress-led Manmohan Singh government and send a strong message against its policies through a nation-wide strike on Thursday.

Though the date of protest, September 20, was announced separately by the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance and the Left Front — which was joined by the Samajwadi Party, the Telugu Desam Party and the Biju Janata Dal — the parties’ message was clear: A united fight against the policies of the UPA.

While a majority of the Opposition parties in Parliament would take part in the nation-wide strike, the Bahujan Samaj Party, which supports the UPA government from the outside, said it would decide on future course of action after October 9.

The NDA arrived at the decision after a meeting at the residence of its working president LK Advani. Announcing the alliance's decision, Advani said: “The NDA today decided to hold a nation-wide strike on 20th of this month. I am sure that the suffocation felt by the people for a long time is about to come to an end." Addressing the media with Sushma Swaraj and other coalition leaders, he said: “It would be prudent and wise for the government itself to decide that they do not wait till 2014 for the people to give their opinion about the UPA government. Let them call for an early election. Let the people decide.”

Accusing the UPA government of having dealt “cruel blows to the people one after another”, the Samajwadi Party, TDP, BJD, Janata Dal (S) and Left separately called for nation-wide protests on September 20. “The Rs 5 hike in the rate of diesel will stoke price rise and burden the farmers while the move to limit gas cylinder to six would mean families will have to buy the rest at the market price which is more than double. The opening of multi-brand retail to foreign chains will endanger the livelihood of over 4 crore people,” said a joint statement by leaders of these parties.