The CPM staged a protest at the Krishna District Milk Union, popularly known as Vijaya Dairy, in Vijayawada for the second consecutive day on Sunday, demanding the immediate withdrawal of a reported milk price increase.
Party leaders and activists entered the dairy’s administrative block, raised slogans against the coalition government and Vijaya Dairy management, and held the protest through songs, according to a report by Deccan Chronicle. The demonstration focused on the impact of higher milk prices on households that rely on milk as a daily food item.
CPM leaders said milk was an essential commodity and argued that the increase would place an additional burden on poor and middle-class families. They specifically referred to children, elderly people and patients who regularly consume milk. The party did not indicate in the report the amount of the increase or the date on which the revised prices took effect.
The protest also questioned the management’s decision to raise prices despite its claim that Vijaya Dairy was profitable and was spending crores on development and expansion. These statements were made by CPM leaders during the demonstration and were not independently substantiated in the report.
The issue links consumer affordability with the management of a cooperative dairy that operates in the Krishna district. The CPM alleged that the government was weakening Vijaya Dairy in order to benefit private players, including Heritage. The party demanded that the dairy be run in the interests of both dairy farmers and consumers. The allegation was made by the protesting party, and no response from the government, Vijaya Dairy management or the named private company was included in the report.
The protest followed a similar demonstration by the CPM on the previous day. Party leaders warned that the agitation would continue until the price increase was withdrawn. They said women’s, workers’, youth and student organisations would join the campaign, with signature drives, further protests and hunger strikes planned.
The dispute places the price of a routine household essential alongside wider questions about the role of cooperative dairies, their operating costs and their responsibility to producers and consumers. However, the reported protest did not include details of Vijaya Dairy’s revised price list, the reasons cited by management for the increase, or any government order connected with the decision.
The CPM’s next announced steps are signature campaigns, additional protests and hunger strikes involving its affiliated women’s, workers’, youth and student organisations. The party has said the agitation will continue until the reported milk price hike is rolled back.
