Monday, June 12 2006 16:22 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Chennai: For the first time since 1992, AIADMK supremo Jayalalithaa today (June 12, 2006) took to the streets to lead an agitation protesting against the fuel price hike.

It is also the first time she has shared a platform with MDMK chief Vaiko, after her Government detained him under POTA alleging that he supported the outlawed LTTE.

In 1992, when Jayalalithaa was Chief Minister, she went on a three day fast at the Marina Beach demanding setting up of a monitoring committee to supervise the implementation of the Cauvery disputes tribunal's interim award.

Vaiko shared a platform with her in 1998 during the AIADMK conference at Tirunelveli. MDMK and the AIADMK contested the Lok Sabha polls that year in alliance with the BJP.

Though the MDMK was a constituent of the AIADMK led Democratic People's Alliance in the May Assembly polls, Vaiko and Jayalalithaa had avoided a joint campaign.

Today's demonstration was also used by the AIADMK to show that its alliance with the MDMK and DPI, forged for the May assembly polls, was very much intact.

Jayalalithaa even formed a human chain along with Vaiko, DPI leader Thirumavalavan and others.

Addressing the demonstrators, Jayalalithaa termed as 'mere eyewash', the state government's action of reducing the sales tax on diesel by 45 paise per litre.

Attacking the Centre's decision to hike fuel prices, Jayalalithaa alleged that the UPA government had refrained from hiking the prices till the assembly polls to the five states were over.

"While our protest is against the Centre, the state government (Tamil Nadu) has announced a reduction on sales tax on diesel. Since the ruling DMK government is part of the UPA government at the Centre, will it prevail upon the Centre to roll back the hike?," she said.

The Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Union Finance minister P Chidambaram, "Who call themselves financial experts", had hiked the prices of petroleum products for the sixth time in two years, she said.

Vaiko charged the DMK with adopting double standards by supporting the Congress, which had effected the hike, while at the same time supporting the Left parties, which are demanding a rollback on the hike.

Thirumavalavan demanded to know why the state government had not reduced the tax on petrol and just diesel.

In Madurai, about 3000 workers AIADMK alliance held a demonstration in front of the Tallakulam Head Post office in the city.

In Pondicherry, AIADMK, MDMK and DPI workers held a demonstration in front of the head post office in protest against the increase in fuel prices.

Former minister E Madusudan, who addressed the workers, said the Congress and DMK had a history of bringing in 'anti- people' measures whenever they were in power.