Report and pic - Vinay Pais (GA)

Kundapur, Mar 3: The local unit of CPI staying by the national call staged a protest rally against the union government on Friday March 2.  The agitators urged the Centre to stem the tides of rising prices and inflation.

More than 1,000 volunteers participated in picketing and courted arrest.  They were later released by police. As the increasing rate of inflation and rising prices of essential commodities affect the "Aam Aadmi", the CPI (M) taluk committee had expressed its apprehension through picketing.

Their demands included the bringing down of the prices of essential day-t0-day goods, the strengthening of P D system, the lowering of bus fare, controlling of drug prices, the distribution of yellow cards to all people coming under BPL.

K Shankar, secretary of CPI (M),Udupi district committee, the taluk secretaries K Mahabala, Chandrashekhar, C Narayana, H Narasimha, J B Muhmed, D Laxman, Govinda Shettigar, Ashwath Kumar, Kumbashi Ganesh, Anand Sheth, L Sheena, Koni Rama and others led the procession.