Kathmandu, February 18:

The hike in prices of petroleum products has drawn sharp criticism from political parties, student unions and other organisations.

Nepali Congress and CPN-UML issued press statements to protest the hike and have resented differences in the price across the country. The government had yesterday revised the wholesale price of kerosene, petrol and diesel for the central development region to Rs 48, Rs 68 and Rs 54, respectively.

Political detainees have issued statements decrying the move, warning of stiff protests if the hike is not rolled back. In Bara today, cadres and student activists of the seven-party alliance launched a protest rally against the price hike.

The demonstrators demanded immediate withdrawal of the hike. They burnt tyres at Kalaiya Chowk and other parts of the city.

Similarly, the Maoist Victims’ Association of Bara, in a statement today, demanded the withdrawal of the price hike. The protesting students also waved black flags at Assistant Minister for Education and Sports Bhuwan Pathak, in Kalaiya, today. They waved black flags at the minister in front of Siddheshwor, said Mauladdhin Mansur, office secretary of the Nepali Congress Bara.

In Nepalgunj, students of Mahendra Multiple Campus staged a chakkajam for one hour to protest the price hike. Students staged the chakkajam in front of the college disrupting vehicular movement along the Nepalgunj-Rupaidiha road section.

Speaking at the programme, student leaders demanded immediate withdrawal of the price hike.