Congress leaders participated in the protests in various places across the state condemning the Centre and Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the price hike. In Chennai, state Congress president KS Alagiri said that the wrong economic policies followed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi is responsible for fuel price hike.

“The actual price of petrol per litre is Rs 32, but the Centre is levying Rs 32 as excise duty for a litre of petrol. This the reason for massive hike in fuel price. Even the British East India Company collected only one sixth of produce as tax, but Modi government is collecting 100 per cent tax. The ruling BJP is burdening people more than the Britishers,” said Alagiri.

There was a small ruffle during the protest at Velachery as a man picked up a quarrel with a protesting women worker who held a child without mask. Police intervened and took the person away.

In Tiruchy, Congress members converged under the leadership of Tiruchy MP Su Thirunavukkarasar in front of a petrol bunk near Head Post Office and staged a protest. Thirunavukkarasar said that the Excise duty on fuel had increased at least three times in the last seven years. After fleecing the poor through indirect taxes, the Centre was not ready even to pay for vaccines, he charged.

In Vellore nearly 3,000 Congress workers protested in front of 16 fuel outlets in areas like Pernambut, Gudiyattam, KV Kuppam, Pallikonda and Anaicut and at 15 locations in Vellore Corporation limits, said Vellore district Congress president G Suresh Kumar