The Left and secular opposition parties plan to hold a week-long country wide agitation from February 3 against price rise and the failure of the Government to control it.

A joint statement issued by the CPI (M), CPI, AIADMK, TDP and JD (S) among others states that during the week there will be picketing of central Government offices, protest demonstrations, dharnas and rallies. “On February 9, the last day of agitation, a mass dharna in Delhi,” the statement adds.

The political parties participating in the agitation have demanded that the Government immediately take a number of steps to curb price rise including prohibiting forward trading in food items and essential commodities, universalise the public distribution system and distribute the excess food grain stock in FCI godowns at Below Poverty Line (BPL) rates, provide remunerative prices to farmers and inputs at reasonable cost to boost productivity in agriculture, among others.

The statement has been signed by former Prime Minister, Mr H.D. Deve Gowda, Mr Thambidurai (from the AIADMK), Mr Ajit Singh (RLD), Mr Prakash Karat (CPI-M) and Mr A.B. Bardhan (CPI), among others.

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