Tamil Nadu Bus Fare Hike Row: DMK President MK Stalin Holds Protests Demanding Roll Back
On Sunday, the state government had revised bus fares, reducing them marginally following protests. The revision, which will be to a maximum of Re one, will come into effect from January 29.
Chennai, January 29: Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) working President MK Stalin on Monday led the protest called by opposition parties of Tamil Nadu demanding a rollback of bus fare hike. On Sunday, the state government had revised bus fares, reducing them marginally following protests. The revision, which will be to a maximum of Re one, will come into effect from January 29.
The DMK on Sunday termed the downward cut in bus fares announced by the government as an "eyewash" and said it would hold state-wide agitations along with alliance parties across the State tomorrow. "We have demanded full rollback of an increase in bus fares. Tomorrow we will stage agitation pressing our demand", Stalin said.
Stalin on Sunday demanded Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami to immediately withdraw the hike or step down. “The Chief Minister had said the hike was effected with anguish. If so, it should be immediately withdrawn or else, you (Mr. Palaniswami) have got no option left but to resign,” Stalin added.
Meanwhile, Vaiyapuri Gopalsamy, well known as Vaiko of the Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK) said, "The bus hike is an assault on the people. All the allied parties have joined together to demand that the bus fare hike be rolled back. They (state govt) know their days are numbered. So they want to see how much they can loot in those days".
The DMK, which is the main opposition party in Tamil Nadu has threatened to intensify its protests across the state, and fill jails from Monday if the ruling All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) government did not withdraw bus fare hike. The DMK had staged an agitation on Saturday on the same issue.
Tamil Nadu has been witnessing protests ever since the government hiked bus fares on January 20. The all-party meeting convened by DMK at party headquarters 'Anna Arivalayam' passed a resolution that the agitations on the issue would be held on January 29. The meeting decided that their next course of action would be based on the response from the ruling AIADMK on their agitations.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jan 29, 2018 11:00 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).