Fuel price hike: SP-Left to launch nationwide protest on Jul 5

Samajwadi Party (SP) and left parties will launch a joint nationwide strike on July 5 to protest against hike in prices of petroleum products.

"SP and left parties will jointly participate in the nationwide strike on July 5 against UPA government's decision to raise the prices of petroleum products," SP spokesman Rajendra Chaudhary said in Lucknow on Monday.

"People are being forced to sleep without food, farmers are committing suicide, but the Centre is least concerned with their problems...," he said.

Chaudhary said in the last few years while petrol and diesel prices rose by 20 per cent and 32 per cent respectively, the prices of essential commodities increased by 150 per cent.

In a politically sensitive move, the government on June 25 hiked prices of petrol by Rs 3.50 a litre and diesel by Rs 2 a litre, raised LPG by Rs 35 a cylinder and the poor man's cooking fuel kerosene by Rs 3 a litre.