Petrol price hike: LDF calls for hartal in Kerala today

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Opposition CPI-M led Left Democratic Front (LDF) in Kerala Wednesday gave a call for dawn-to-dusk hartal in the state on Thursday to protest the steepest ever increase in petrol price.


"This (the price hike) is a cruel blow on the people of the country already reeling under the pressure of steep price rise," LDF convenor Vaikom Viswan said in a statement here Wednesday night. He urged all sections of the society to support the protest.


In a separate statement, the BJP also called a hartal in the state for Thursday protesting the Rs 7.5 hike announced by the oil companies. Essential services like milk supply, media, hospital would be exempted from the hartal.