After a lull of many months the Left and the Congress on Friday staged joint rallies in protest against petro-price hike even as Congress Lok Sabha Leader Adhir Chowdhury slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi for turning a blind eye on the “loot” going on in the oil market.

“When the Congress left power, international price of crude was $ 116 per barrel… But after that it came down to $ 20 per barrel. Even Prime Minister Modi called himself 'fortunate' to find the petro-prices so low. However the people of India were not so fortunate like Modi ji as they have continuously languished under the rising oil prices that has hurt every sector from farming to transportation causing steep inflation,” Chowdhury said advocating an immediate cap on the petroleum prices.

“The farmers are suffering the most with rising diesel prices. This Government is doing nothing about that,” he said.

CPI(M) central committee member and State Legislature Party Leader Sujan Chakrabarty who led a huge cycle rally in South Kolkata said, “the common man is already jobless and upon that they have been hit by inflation due to rising oil prices. And the Centre is taking no note of this. So we had been forced to take this route.”

The Congress and the Left staged a joint blockade at Barasat in the northern fringes of Kolkata protesting oil price hike. DYFI the youth arm of the CPI(M) too staged a unique motorbike rally whence the walked with their motorcycles before blocking some city thoroughfares.