BJP, Sena trade barbs over power bills, fuel price rise
MUMBAI: Former allies, Shiv Sena and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), staged protests against each other’s governments in the state and Centre. While BJP leaders took to the streets to protest against the inflated power bills issued by the state power distribution company, the Sena staged protests against the Centre over the hike in fuel and cooking gas prices.
Sena leaders led the protests at Dadar, Byculla, Goregaon, Thane and Mira-bhayander areas against the “loot of common man” by the Union government. Party legislators also staged protests and bullock-cart and cycle rallies in Pune, Aurangabad and Nashik districts.
Sena vibhag pramukh (division head) Ashish Chemburkar, who was leading the protest at Byculla, said fuel prices have been hiked since the lockdown was lifted, and soon, the price of petrol will reach ₹100 per litre. “The Centre has been looting the citizens for months by increasing the prices of fuel and LPG cylinder. Sena will intensify protests if the Centre does not arrest the price rise,” Chemburkar said.
Responding to former chief minister Devendra Fadnavis’s attack on the state government to reduce its share of tax on fuel, Chemburkar said, “The price of petrol would be ₹92 [per litre] after reducing the state tax. Do the ones who seek the state’s tax believe that the price of fuel at ₹92 is less?”
Former parliamentarian Chandrakant Khaire cited “corruption at the highest levels” as the reason behind the fuel price rise. “The crude oil prices are at an all-time low, and yet, fuel [petrol] is ₹94 [per litre].”
Meanwhile, BJP staged protests outside the regional offices of the Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (MSEDCL) to oppose the disconnection of power over pending bills. In Kolhapur, clashes broke out between BJP workers and the police as the protestors tried to lock the regional office of MSEDCL as part of their ‘Tala Thoko’ protest.
“The state had announced to waive off the inflated bills issued during lockdown. But it didn’t keep its word, and on the contrary sent notices to 7.5 million consumers warning the disconnection of the supply for nonpayments. Most of the bills are inflated. The citizens are not in a position to pay the bills due to the job and income loss during the lockdown. We’ll continue our protest until the bills are waived off,” said BJP leader Chandrashekhar Bawankule .