10,000 Arrested During India Protest on Food Price Hikes
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NEW DELHI — Nearly 10,000 demonstrators and most opposition lawmakers were arrested today as they staged a protest outside Parliament against recent price hikes for bread, rice and cooking fuel by Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi’s government.
As many as 20,000 slogan-chanting opposition activists mobbed streets on the opening day of the new budget session of the Indian legislature. The session was boycotted by major opposition parties to protest the increases.
Women beat their breasts, and other demonstrators chanted, “A government that cannot feed its citizens is worthless” and “Down, down with Rajiv Gandhi.”
Police said about 100 opposition legislators and thousands of demonstrators placed themselves voluntarily under arrest by defying a ban on public assembly.
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