The Congress-led UDF began a day and night protest against the tax proposals announced by the Left government in the budget presented in the Kerala Assembly on February 3.

Launching the protest in front of the state secretariat here and the collectorates in 13 districts on Monday, the opposition front demanded withdrawal of "all anti-people recommendations" from the state budget presented by Finance Minister K N Balagopal.

Talking to PTI, M M Hassan, convener of UDF said the day and night protest is just a token and UDF will intensify the agitation till the government withdraws the "anti-people taxes" proposed in the budget.

Leader of Opposition V D Satheeshan inaugurated the protest in Kozhikode.

Attacking Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, Satheesan alleged that the Congress and the Youth Congress workers were being arrested widely in the name of clearing the route for the CM's convoy.

"The Supreme Court has ordered that there should be no preventive detention. On the basis of which Act, Congress workers are taken into custody? Why is the Chief Minister afraid?" he asked.

Satheeshan will inaugurate the concluding function in Thiruvananthapuram on Tuesday.

Congress leaders lashed out at the Pinarayi Vijayan government for introducing a two per cent fuel cess and for increasing the water tax. They alleged the government has made life difficult for the common man "while indulging in splurging of public money."

Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by The Telegraph Online staff and has been published from a syndicated feed.