BJD launches 3-day agitation against fuel price hike

Ahead of the opposition Congress' Bharat Bandh on September 10, the ruling BJD Friday launched a three-day state-wide agitation against the fuel price hike.

The BJD's protest will end on September 9, a day before the Congress's Bharat Bandh, protesting against the fuel price hike.

Party members across the state will hold peaceful demonstrations before petrol pumps in their respective areas for two hours from 10 am to 12 noon, said BJD leader Sanjay Dasburma.

On the opening day of the agitation, the party activists including members of the youth, students and women's wing, distributed leaflets and staged peaceful demonstration at all petrol pumps in the city.

Many lawmakers also joined the protest in the state capital in a rally from the Assembly to the petrol pump near Ram Mandir here.

The BJP-led central government had come to power with promises of Acche din but the increasing petrol and diesel prices have over-burdened the common man, said Dasburma.

BJD MLA Arun Sahoo also said that the prices of petrol and diesel have skyrocketed.

Earlier, when the rate of oil per barrel was USD 135 in global market, the petrol prices in India was Rs 54 per litre. Now, when the global rates have fallen to USD 78, petrol is Rs 80 a litre, he said.

Union Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, who was in the city, however, dubbed the BJD's agitation as the sign of ruling party's "mental bankruptcy".

BJD is suffering from mental bankruptcy. Odisha collected the maximum revenue in petroleum products during the period 2014-18, said Pradhan.