Price rise: NDA, Left parties call for Bharat bandh on Monday, July 5

M.today

New Delhi, July 4: New Delhi:  As top National Democratic Alliance (NDA) leaders meet in Delhi on Sunday to chalk out the strategy for Monday’s Bharat bandh, senior leader LK Advani says this is the first time so many parties have collaborated and he is hopeful of success.

 

Across the country, Opposition parties have called for a bandh against rising prices and the NDA is keen to get as many parties on board as possible, however, they have failed to put up a united front. Both RJD chief Lalu Yadav and LJP chief Ramvilas Paswan have decided not to support the strike.

Hence, NDA members, mainly BJP, have decided to meet and work out a common agenda to ensure that Monday’s bandh has the stamp of the party.

During the meet leaders are expected to workout separate agenda for NDA ruled and those ruled by the United Progressive Alliance (UPA).


In an attempt to make tomorrow’s strike a success, BJP today decided to send its senior leaders out to various state capitals to lead demonstrations and protest marches.

According to the decision, party president Nitin Gadkari and Rajnath Singh will lead the protest in New Delhi.

Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj will lead a protest in Bhopal while Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley and vice-president Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi will do so in Lucknow.

Among other leaders, Venkaiah Naidu will be in Hyderabad, Anant Kumar in Bangalore, Gopinath Munde in Mumbai and Vasundhara Raje in Jaipur, Naqvi said.

He said the party leaders have been deputed to states to ensure success of the nation-wide ’bandh’ called against rise in prices and "arrogant attitude of the Central government".

Meanwhile, the Left parties have also called for a separate bandh on Monday against the soaring prices. Today is the second day of the Politburo meeting.

The Communist Party of India Marxist (CPM) has made it clear that it is not joining the NDA in its bandh call and that their bandh is separate with only their dates coinciding.

The protests are being organized in run up to the Parliament Session that begins on July 26. Extra forces will stationed so that no traffic is blocked during the Bandh.