Opposition to Protest Bus Fare Hike Across Tamil Nadu on 13 Feb

The DMK called an all-party meet on 6 February to protest hike in bus fare & to demand exemptions in NEET exams.

MDMK Chief Vaiko with DMK Working President MK Stalin

(Photo: Smitha TK/The Quint)

A united opposition of the DMK, MDMK, Congress, VCK, and Left parties in Tamil Nadu said they will hold protests across Tamil Nadu on 13 February against the bus fare hike in the state. The protest declaration came after an all-party meet at the DMK headquarters in Chennai on 6 February.

The all-party meet called by DMK Working President MK Stalin was attended by the opposition DMK, the MDMK, Congress, the VCK, and Left parties in the state. Listen in to what DMK Spokesperson TKS Elangovan had to say.

Opposition parties in the state have condemned the ruling AIADMK government for the hike in bus ticket fares which were effected in January 2018, and has sought an immediate rollback.

‘We Will Form a Mega Alliance Soon’

The all-party meet said it has adopted three resolutions.

1. All district headquarters would stage protests against the bus fare hike
2. Protest meetings will be held across Tamil Nadu on 13 February
3. All cases registered against students who protested the bus fare hike must be withdrawn

Further, VCK chief Thol Thirumavalavan added that the meeting was an indication of a massive alliance in the future, and that a united alliance would contest elections in the future.

In another twist, MDMK Chief Vaiko also participated in the meeting at the DMK HQ making it the first all-party meet called by the DMK in 12 years that MDMK chief Vaiko attended. He last attended a meeting chaired by DMK supremo Karunanidhi in 2006.

Vaiko and Stalin are believed to share a rivalry, but have joined hands in the past month to raise their voices against the ruling AIADMK government.

(This is a developing story and will be updated.)