RJD extends support to Cong, Left sponsored Sept 10 Bharat bandh

The RJD announced Saturday its support to the Congress-called 'Bharat bandh' on September 10 to protest against sky-rocketing fuel prices.

RJD national vice president Raghuvansh Prasad Singh informed reporters here about the party's decision to extend support to Congress and Left sponsored countrywide shutdown on Monday.

"We have to strengthen our opposition's unity in the proposed Bharat bandh... We will be actively participating in Bharat bandh for people's interest," Singh said at the party office.

On Thursday, the Congress had announced a nationwide protest on September 10 over rising fuel prices. Other opposition parties including Left have extended their support to the bandh.

He said with the pace the fuel prices are increasing everyday, it seems that prices of petrol and diesel will soon touch the century mark.

Both the central and state governments are charging tax together 50 per cent of the total price of petrol/diesel per litre, Singh said, adding that the centre has raked in around Rs 11 lakh crore in the past four years by levying excise duty on petro products.

The senior leader of Lalu Prasad's party also announced that the RJD would organise "jail bharo" in January next year to "uproot" Narendra Modi-led government which has "failed on all fronts especially in taming the fuel prices".

"The party has launched a five-month long programmes from panchayat to state level in order to make the common people aware about the 35 issues like fuel price hike, rising unemployment, deteriorating law and order situation in Bihar and failure to bring back black money in the country," he said.

"In December, the party has devised a strategy as per which 60 Satyagrahis per panchayat would be prepared to fill the jail. Altogether five lakh Satyagrahis from across the state would participate in 'jail bharo' abhiyan in January, 2019 in order to uproot Narendra Modi government at the centre," Singh, a former Union minister, said.

He, however, did not specify the date when the party will go for jail bharo protest.