Noting that the Shiv Sena had protested on the streets against inflation despite being in power, Raut said it was essential for an otherwise the inert Opposition to show their strength in the bandh.
Indicating a higher index of opposition unity against the ruling BJP, the Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) joined forces with the Congress, NCP and the Left parties to support today's nation-wide bandh to protest against rising fuel prices.
However, the Shiv Sena will not be part of the bandh. "Let the opposition parties play out their responsibilities. If a party wants to emerge as an opposition party in Maharashtra and India, they must have the desire to enforce such protests and bandhs on their own strength. If the Shiv Sena is part of this, we can shut down not just India but also the world, as we are bandh samrats," boasted Shiv Sena Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut.
Noting that the Shiv Sena had protested on the streets against inflation despite being in power, Raut said it was essential for an otherwise the inert Opposition to show their strength in the bandh. Adding that the people were inconvenienced by rising fuel prices, he stressed that it was necessary for the Opposition to perform their duty.
MNS chief Raj Thackeray in a public statement noted that "the ever-increasing fuel prices is affecting every aspect of our lives (sic)," and appealed to his 'Maharashtra Sainiks' to be part of the bandh.
"However, while doing so, they should bear in mind to ensure that no public property is damaged and the common man doesn't suffer," he urged.
Former chief minister and Maharashtra Congress president Ashok Chavan sought to bring petrol and diesel under the ambit of GST. He called on the party workers to enforce the bandh calls sans any trouble to the people or damage to property.
The NCP state unit chief and former minister Jayant Patil said they would participate in the day-long hartal and charged that the BJP-Shiv Sena government had failed to take concrete steps to curb rising petrol and diesel prices, which led to rising inflation. Patil also issued a communique to party district and taluka chiefs to join the protest.
The Communist Party of India- Marxist (CPI-M), Communist Party of India (CPI), Communist Party of India- Marxist Leninist (CPI-ML), Socialist Unity Centre of India (SUCI-Communist) and Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP), said the rise in prices of petroleum products was having an adverse impact on people and their livelihoods, jeopardising already financially stressed farmers and causing inflation. CPI-M Maharashtra secretary and former MLA Narsayya Adam Master called on their cadre to ensure that the hartal was successful.
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