BJP protest against sugar price hike in Tripura, demands rollback

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) unit in Tripura organised a protest in state capital Agatala against the state government's recent decision of hiking price by Rs. 6 for kilogram of sugar distributed through public distribution system (PDS).

Protestors gathered in front of the head office of food department and raised slogans against the Left Front government demanding immediate rollback of the sugar price.

They viewed that the state government is anti-poor and the hike in sugar price is totally unjustified since there has been no increase in sugar price in the market.

Later, a team of BJP state leaders met the state's Special Secretary and Director of food and civil supply Soumitra Bandopadhyoy to press their demand.

Former MLA and BJP leader Subal Bowmik said, "All of a sudden the state government has hike the price of sugar by six rupees (per kilogram) which is an extra burden on the people of the state. In no other Indian state the price of sugar has been hiked but here the state government is blackmailing the people, telling lie and cheating them."

"They have hiked the price in order to divert the money to party fund keeping in view the 2018 assembly election. They (CPIM) are scared as the BJP is gradually growing and so they want to keep the people in hunger and create such a situation that the poor section of people lives half fed and claim themselves as government of the poor people. We strongly protest against this, he added.

The BJP also gave 48 hours ultimatum to the state government for the rollback or they shall go for state-wide protest against this.

"This is not the end of this issue and BJP is giving 48 hours time for rollback of the sugar price and if it is not resolved within 48 hours time then we shall go for bigger protest," said Bhowmik.

Only four days back the state government had declared the hike in the price of sugar distributed through PDS by rupees six for every kilogram.