Kolkata: The CPM (Communist Party of India-Marxist) today (Nov 26, 2004) demanded a rollback of the Railways' decision to hike freight rates as in the case of the increase in the price of petroleum products.

CPM Politburo member Anil Biswas told reporters in Kolkata that his party would take up with the UPA (United Progressive Alliance) Government the issue of the hike in Railway freight citing the higher price of diesel and would call for its withdrawal.

The Left parties, he said, had already been demanding rollback of increase in the price of petroleum products.

Biswas also refuted the BJP's (Bharatiya Janata Party) charge that Communists had given a green signal to yesterday's hike in Railway freight and described it as "baseless".