Kerala Congress: Protests against fuel price hike

Members of the Congress party in Kerala on Saturday observed a black day after Petrol and Diesel prices were hiked by Rs 2 per litre in the budget by the Pinarayi Vijayan-led LDF government for the 2022-23 financial year in the legislative assembly.

Youth Congress workers waved black flags and clashed with police outside the government guest house in Kochi while his convoy left the guest house on Saturday morning. They shouted slogans demanding roll back of the cess imposed on petrol and diesel. 

The protesters were detained immediately as security had already been enhanced outside the guesthouse in the wake of earlier protests.

The Congress on Friday observed ‘Black Day’ across the state against the alleged anti-people budget of the LDF government. Congress workers staged demonstrations in different parts of the state, demanding reversal of the proposal to levy “social security cess” on fuel and liquor.

On Friday, Protests erupted soon after the finance minister presented the budget for 2023-24 in the Assembly, proposing to increase prices of petrol, diesel and liquor. Youth Congress workers and the Bhartiya Janata Party’s Yuva Morcha workers protested outside the state secretariat in Thiruvananthapuram, demanding the roll back of the “anti-people” tax proposals.