Nation-wide strike a success, says BJP

“The bandh (strike) has been successful as far as reports received. Even reports from Congress-ruled states are saying that people have been closing down shutters,” BJP spokesperson Nirmala Sitharaman told IANS.

This shows that “people can't bear the price rise”, she added.

Sitharaman admitted that calling a total shutdown may not be the best way to protest, but claimed there was no alternative.

“A bandh is not a constructive way to protest… but how else do people protest, if the government does not listen to them...does not notice their voice? It is the only way for them to say what they want to say,” she said.

The BJP spokesperson said the issue of price rise had first been raised in parliament through cut motions in the last budget session, but they were bailed out by “phoney opposition parties of SP (Samajwadi Party) and RJD (Rashtriya Janata Dal)”.

Last month, the government decontrolled the price of petrol and raised the cost of diesel by Rs.2 per litre. It also increased the prices of cooking gas and kerosene.

“And to add salt to the wound of people, fuel prices have been raised. Hike in diesel prices will have a cascading effect. It is not a sensitive government,” Sitharaman said.