Kolkata, Jul 6 (PTI) Starting a week-long protest programme against rising fuel prices in the country, the Trinamool Congress held demonstrations at several places in West Bengal on Monday.

Speaking at a protest meeting in the city, Trinamool Congress's secretary general Partha Chatterjee claimed that all public sector units are in danger of privatisation under the present BJP government at the Centre.

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Chatterjee, who is also the state Education and Parliamentary Affairs Minister, said that the Indian Railways is being privatised and attempts are also being made to privatise the coal mines.

He claimed that the BJP government at the Centre was taking anti-people decisions and increasing prices of petrol, diesel, kerosene and cooking gas, thus putting the common man who is already reeling under the effects of coronavirus- related economic slump into more hardship.

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"The way fuel prices are increasing, soon the price of diesel will overtake that of petrol," he said.

"When Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is fighting against the double blow of coronavirus and cyclone Amphan and working for reconstruction of the state, the opposition is trying to derail the process through false allegations," Chatterjee said.

He said that TMC ministers, leaders and workers are engaged in providing assistance to the people in need over the last four months since the beginning of the lockdown.

Sit-in demonstrations, processions and rallies were held at many places across West Bengal during the day by the ruling TMC, protesting the fuel price hike.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)