DMK Protests Against Bus Fare Hike Set to Continue on 29 January

DMK Working President MK Stalin has demanded the resignation of CM E Palaniswami as well.

Tamil Nadu Opposition parties, including the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), have said that they will hold a protest against hiked bus fares in the state, on Monday, 29 January.

DMK and its alliance partners will hold a protest to press for a total rollback of hiked bus fares across Tamil Nadu. Partial reduction in bus fares by the government is nothing but an eyewash. It can’t be accepted and is also not correct. We demand total rollback of fares.

MK Stalin, Working President, DMK

The All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam-led Tamil Nadu Government on 19 January hiked the fares of Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC) buses in Chennai from Rs 3 to Rs 5, and the ceiling on fares from Rs 14 to Rs 23.

The move riled the Opposition parties, who have demanded resignation of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K Palaniswami for failing to withdraw the fare hike.

I had written to the chief minister asking him to withdraw the hike, and that the matter should be discussed in the state Assembly for which the House should be convened. But they are only giving accounts of losses (suffered by transport corporations) but have no time for remedial measures.

MK Stalin, Working President, DMK

The DMK leader had raised an objection on the fare hike earlier as well, saying, "horse-traded and 'commission agent' government should roll it back immediately".

The DMK also constituted a panel under senior party leader and former Union minister TR Baalu to probe ways to reduce bus fares, Stalin said.

"This protest is not going to stop today. The bus fare price hike should be rolled back at once. If it is not possible, then the chief minister should resign and go home", Stalin said on 26 January.

(With inputs from PTI & ANI)