Bharat Bandh called on Monday: All details here
What's the story
Opposition parties led by the Congress has called for a Bharat Bandh on September 10 to protest against rising fuel prices in the country. Parties like DMK, NCP, RJD, and JD(S) have supported the strike, and the Congress has urged NGOs and civil society to participate in the nationwide agitation. The bandh will be observed between 9am and 3pm. Here are the details.
Demands
What the Opposition has demanded
Pointing out the escalating fuel prices and excise duties, the Opposition has accused the BJP government of bleeding the common dry, and has said the bandh is to help people vent their anger. Their demands include an immediate reduction in central excise duty and excessive VAT in states, and to include petrol and diesel within the ambit of the Goods and Services Tax (GST).
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Astronomical hikes in excise duties since Modi came into power
Explaining the motive behind the band, Congress communications head Randeep Surjewala pointed out that petrol and diesel prices had gone up by 50%, while excise duties on petrol and diesel had increased by 211% and 443% respectively, since the NDA government came into power.
Support
The parties that are supporting the Bharat Bandh
While several parties - Samajwadi Party, DMK, NCP, RJD, JD(S), JVM, and JMM - have lent their support to the Congress' call for a Bharat Bandh, Left parties have called a separate bandh of their own, on the same day. Meanwhile, West Bengal's Trinamool Congress (TMC) have said that they'll organize street protests, but won't close down the state on Monday.
Information
Where will the bandh be observed
The Bharat Bandh is expected to be observed in states where regional parties have lent their support. These include Maharashtra, Bihar, Karnataka, Odisha, and Tamil Nadu, among others. West Bengal will not be observing the bandh.