Third Font, Left to force countrywide shutdown over fuel, fertiliser price hike

The Left and constituents of the opposition Third Front have called for a countrywide shutdown on 27 April to press their demand for a roll-back in the fuel and fertiliser price hike.

They also held out a threat to move a cut motion on the finance bill to be presented by the government in parliament.

Holding a two-hour meeting in the capital, leaders of 13 opposition parties including the Samajwadi Party (SP), the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), the Janata Dal-United (JD-U) and the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) came out strongly against 'the wrong policies of the government.'

A cut motion by opposition parties allows them to press for cutting certain provisions of a financial bill and tests the strength of the government in Parliament.

According to analysts, the non-NDA, non-UPA parties' warning is an indication of tough times to come for the government in Parliament when tax proposals would be debated in the second half of the budget session.

The parties have called for an amendment to the Finance Bill to be passed by Parliament in the Budget session, which resumes on 15 April following a three-week long recess.