Protests flare up across country against rail fare hike

Police had to use water canon in Delhi when the protesters tried to break barricades

The Congress and the CPI (M) on Saturday took to the streets in the national capital protesting the “massive” rail fare hike and demanding its immediate rollback, saying the government’s decision would lead to a rise in the prices of essential commodities.

Scores of Congress workers, led by party's Delhi unit chief Arvinder Singh Lovely, held a demonstration in the Janakpuri area of West Delhi and clashed with police. Police had to use water canon when protesters tried to break barricades.

"It is a massive hike. How can they increase the fair just a couple of weeks before the Budget Session of Parliament. People who used to talk about achche din (good days) before the elections are today talking about bitter medicines,” Lovely said.

Demanding that the government take back its decision, Lovely said besides hitting the passengers hard, the hike would lead to higher inflation as the freight rates had been increased by 6.5 per cent. He threatened that the party would launch a ‘rail rook’ agitation if the decision is not rescinded.

Separately, the Delhi unit of CPI(M) also staged a protest outside the Rail Bhawan.

"Before coming to power, the BJP criticised plans and policies of other parties and won the trust of the citizens by promising to provide relief to people from a price hike. But now, they are doing the same,” said Anurag Saxena, member of CPI(M) Delhi.

In Uttar Pradesh, too, Congress and Samajwadi Party workers on Saturday blocked railway tracks and burnt effigies of Narendra Modi and Railway Minister Sadanand Gowda while protesting against the “steep” hike in rail fares. Samajwadi Party workers burnt Modi's effigy in front of the Kashi Railway station in his home turf, Varanasi, and shouted slogans.

In Lucknow, Congress workers, led by former district president Amit Srivastava Tyagi, staged a demonstration infront of Uttar Pradesh Vidhan Sabha and torched an effigy of Union Railway Minister Sadanand Gowda.

In Kolkata, the Congress and CPI(M), protested against the hike and accused the BJP-led NDA government of pursuing anti-people policies bypassing Parliament.

“When Narendra Modi was the chief minister of Gujurat, he had protested the rail fare hike and had written to then prime minister Manmohan Singh demanding its immediate withdrawal. But now, he is pursuing those anti-people policies. This shows the true colour of the new regime,” Leader of the Opposition Surya Kanta Mishra said at a protest rally in Kolkata.