By Tripura24.in Bureau
AGARTALA | June 8, 2026: Launching a fierce offensive against the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over backbreaking inflation, major Left-wing trade unions staged a massive protest rally in the capital city on Monday. The agitation targeted the skyrocketing prices of electricity, natural gas, fuel, and essential commodities, accusing the government of deliberately running an economy meant to exploit ordinary citizens.
The protest rally commenced from the Melarmath area of Agartala, with hundreds of workers and union members marching through the city’s major thoroughfares before culminating in a high-voltage street-corner meeting at Shakuntala Road.
”Ministers Become Millionaires, While Commoners Suffer”
Addressing the gathering, veteran Left leader Ratan Das launched a scathing attack on the “double-engine” BJP government, claiming that inflation is not an accident but a calculated strategy.
”Under the BJP government, price hikes are inevitable because their grand masterplan is to systematically exploit the common public. Tripura is currently competing with the rest of the country in inflating the costs of power, domestic gas, and fuel. Where will the ordinary citizen go? The ministers and political leaders face no hardship—they pocket lakhs of rupees at the end of every month while the working class is pushed to the brink of starvation,” Das alleged.
Left Leadership Demands Immediate Financial Relief
The protest saw the participation of top trade union stalwarts, including senior Center of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) leader and former minister Manik Dey, alongside other prominent frontliners.
The leaders highlighted how the purchasing power of the working class has completely collapsed under the current regime due to stagnant wages and surging tariffs.
| Key Sectors Hit by Inflation | Impact Raised by Left Unions |
|---|---|
| Electricity & Smart Meters | Unprecedented power tariff hikes and hidden charges squeezing households. |
| Piped & Cylinder Gas | Continuous rise in commercial and domestic natural gas prices affecting kitchens. |
| Fuel & Transportation | High petrol and diesel costs driving up the prices of daily essential groceries. |
| Income Disparity | Political executives enjoy salary hikes while casual laborers face zero financial security. |
Warning of an Intense Working-Class Resistance
Speaking at the Shakuntala Road street meeting, Manik Dey stated that the Left unions will not sit quietly while the rights of the working class are trampled upon. He emphasized that the common public’s patience is wearing thin as basic survival becomes a luxury in Tripura.
The union leadership warned the state administration that Monday’s rally was a prelude to a larger, state-wide workers’ resistance. They demanded an immediate rollback of the recent power tariff hikes, subsidies on cooking gas, and strict market monitoring to curb the artificial inflation of essential goods
