The DMK and the Congress held demonstrations across the State on Wednesday, condemning the rise in the price of sugar sold in ration shops. Recently, the price was hiked from ₹13.50 to ₹25.

 

In Chennai, protesters demanded the resignation of Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami and his Cabinet. DMK MLA Ma. Subramanian, who led a protest in front of a fair price shop in Saidapet, said many shops were not supplying the correct quantity of rice and kerosene to consumers. Calling for a rollback of the hike in the price of sugar, he said that the Public Distribution System in the State, which had served as a model for other States several years ago, was now in a shambles.

 

He said that while card holders were not getting their full quota of 20 kg rice, text messages were being sent to them claiming that they had received it. “The rice is being sold in the black market in other States. The quality of toor dal sold in fair price shops is very poor,” he added.

 

Congress cadre also took part in protests in some of the 340-odd locations in the city. In southern districts, cadre from both parties participated in large numbers in the stir. Former Ministers, former MPs, former Mayors as well as sitting MPs and MLAs joined in.

 

‘Stocks inadequate’

 

Besides urging the government to withdraw the hike in the price of sugar, the speakers at the protests also blamed the government for not keeping adequate stocks of other essential commodities in ration shops. Apart from staging a demonstration at the district headquarters, the party cadre raised slogans in front of part-time ration shops.

 

In Tiruchi, former Minister K.N. Nehru led the protest. In Coimbatore, the DMK’s Singanallur MLA N. Karthik was arrested when he staged a protest. He was later released. DMK and Congress cadres staged protests in front of more than 350 shops in the district. In Tirupur, over 3,500 took part in the protests. In Salem, Dharmapuri, Krishnagiri and Erode, protests were held in front of hundreds of shops. M. Shanmugam, general secretary of the Labour Progressive Front, said in Salem that the steep hike in the price of sugar had hit the weaker sections of society. Flaying the State government for its ‘failure’ to get subsidy from the Centre, he said if the current situation continued, it would lead to the closure of all fair price shops.