Mumbai, May 25 (IANS): The Left parties in Maharashtra started 'Week Against Price Rise & Unemployment' from Wednesday to highlight the plight of the masses reeling under the runaway inflation, an organiser said here.

"The policies of the Bharatiya Janata Party government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi are leading to unbearable price rise and simultaneously unemployment. Instead of concentrating on these burning issues, the RSS, BJP and the Sangh Parivar are diverting attention to crass communal polarisation," said All India Kisan Sabha President Dr. Ashok Dhawale.

The weeklong agitation here is a part of the national level call for massive actions against the two issues around a 7-Point Demands Charter, he added.

Accordingly, the Left parties' leaders along with their supporters and the commoners, staged demonstrations in different districts and tehsils to draw the Central government's attention to the spiralling inflation that has made life miserable for the people.

The decision to observe May 25-31 as a 'Week Against Price Rise & Unemployment' was taken on May 23 at an online meeting of leaders from all the Left and other like-minded parties in the state, said a party official.

"We shall hold large united protests at the district and tehsil levels on these issues. The Left Parties are also intensely dissatisfied at the very nominal decrease in petrol-diesel prices announced last week by the Centre which would ensure little or no relief," said the official.

Among the parties joining the weeklong agitation include CPI-M's Dr. Dhawale, Dr. Uday Narkar, Dr. S.K. Rege, CPI's Tukaram Bhasme, Prakash Reddy, Prof. Ram Baheti, Subhash Lande, PWP's Rajendra Korde, Lal Nishan Party's Bhimrao Bansode, Rajendra Bawake, CPI(ML-L)'s Shyam Gohil and Ajit Patil.

Prior to the May 23 meeting, the Samyukta Shetkari Kamgar Morcha (SSKM) and Jan Andolan Sangharsh Samiti (JASS) held a conclave on May 18 in Mumbai and resolved to join the protest Week (May 25-31) with mass agitations.