The CPM and the Trinamul Congress found in fuel price hike a common reason to pack a punch at the Narendra Modi government for putting further burden on the people who are already reeling from the adverse economic consequences of the prolonged lockdown.

On Friday, CPM legislator Sujan Chakraborty, along with his party activists, took out a cycle rally in south Calcutta to protest the spiralling rise of fuel prices. Chakraborty led the bicycle rally from 8B bus stand in Jadavpur to protest outside the Indian Oil Bhavan in Dhakuria, covering a distance of 1.7km.

“Petroleum prices in the international market are at least one third of what an Indian has to pay today. If the crude oil prices are low, why are fuel prices in India going north?” Chakraborty said at the end of the rally.

Though CPM activists attacked the Centre, they did not spare the state government for not waiving off cess that would bring down the price of fuel. They demanded that the state government waive off cess on petroleum products.

The CPM had organised similar rallies in other parts of the state as well. Around a hundred supporters of the CPM’s youth wing DYFI walked with their motorbikes for around 8km at Rampurhat town in Birbhum.

Amitava Singh, the Birbhum district president of the DYFI, said: “It has become difficult for people to ride their bikes as the price of petrol has become too much to bear. As a mark of protest, we decided not to ride our bikes but drag them along.”

Similar protests were witnessed at Nalhati’s Lohapur, Bolpur and a few other places in Birbhum. The DYFI has called for protests against fuel hike across the state on June 26 and 27.

“All the districts will witness the protests on these two days. In East Burdwan, we will protest on Saturday,” said Pralay Aich, state vice-president of DYFI.

Both the student and youth wings of the CPM have been demonstrating against the continuous fuel price hike for the past few days. On Thursday, SFI and DYFI members dragged their scooters and motorbikes in a rally as a mark of protest in Calcutta.

Trinamul Congress leaders have taken to the social media to protest against the fuel price hike. Mamata Banerjee’s party has launched an online campaign with a hashtag which reads “Modibabu Petrol Bekaabu”. The Bengali sentence literally translates to “Mr. Modi, petrol is out of control,” in English.

During a press briefing at Nabanna on Friday, chief minister Mamata Banerjee attacked the Union government for its inability to keep fuel prices within limits.

“Prices of petrol and diesel are increasing continuously. At some places diesel is costlier than petrol. I don’t understand what is happening,” Banerjee said.

On Saturday, all district presidents of Trinamul have been asked to hold press conferences in their respective districts. These leaders have been asked by the party high command to speak on how the state government has been successfully able to combat the coronavirus and Amphan crises.

“However, we will also bring up the issue of hike in petrol prices in our briefings,” said a Trinamul district president who asked not to be identified.