Leaders of Bharatiya Janata Party and Jana Sena Party staged a joint protest at the BJP office here on Tuesday, demanding a withdrawal of the hike in power tariff and cancellation of the G.O. on sale of government lands.

Former MP K. Haribabu alleged that the Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy government was giving ‘shock after shock’ to the people, on completion of one year in office, in the form of a power tariff hike.

“The meter reading was taken after two months in view of the lockdown due to COVID-19 and the slab was fixed on the power consumed during the two months. The common people, who were already suffering due to the lockdown, were being harassed due to the hike in power bills,” he said.

Former MLA P. Vishnu Kumar Raju said that the YSR Congress government was giving ‘Navaratnalu’ to the people with one hand and then snatching it away with the other with the steep hike in liquor prices.

MLC P.V.N. Madhav said that it was unfortunate that elected governments, which were the custodians of government lands in the State, were trying to dispose them of. He also sought withdrawal of the hike in power tariff.

BJP leaders Sagi Kasiviswanadha Raju, S.V.S. Prakash Reddy, N. Rudra Raju, JSP north Andhra in-charge Sundarapu Vijay Kumar and JSP leaders Pasupuleti Usha Rani and Panchakarla Sandeep participated in the protest.