OPP CALLS BANDH ON SEPT 10

The Congress on Thursday announced a 6-hour 'Bharat Bandh' by several political parties on September 10 from 9 am to 3 pm to protest against the ever-increasing prices of petrol, diesel and gas. Congress general secretary Ashok Gehlot and chief spokesman Randeep Singh Surjewala said Ahmed Patel had spoken to leaders of all opposition parties for concerted action.

Only the Trinamul Congress will not join the Bandh since it is the ruling party in West Bengal but it will lead the agitation against the fuel price hike and other anti-people policies of the Modi government, Gehlot said.

He said there will be dharna and demonstrations at petrol pumps across the country. The bandh is for six hours to ensure the people are not put to inconvenience, he said.

The Congress has also given a call to the people to join this protest.

Brahmins & OBCS protest SC/ST act

On Thursday, Brahmins, forward communities and OBCs joined hands to organise a bandh and protest marches against the SC/ST Atrocities Act passed by the government in the recent monsoon session. The legislation has overturned a Supreme Court judgment seeking to protect the upper castes against instant arrests on a complaint by any SC/ST member without any investigation. The impact of this stir was felt in the pollbound states of Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh as also in Uttar Pradesh and Haryana. The BJP leaders are battling to convince the forwards that their interests will be protected despite amendment in the law.