NEW DELHI: Samajwadi Party BSP and Left parties protested against the fuel price hike in UP and Delhi on Monday while staying away from the joint protest organised by Congress in the national capital.Absence of the principal UP players from the joint platform featuring 16 parties and political bigwigs was conspicuous and raised questions - especially in the wake of speculation that SP and BSP were not keen to accommodate Congress in the grand alliance in the state.When asked, Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said it was part of a pre-planned effort to maximise impact. "Our friends from SP and BSP communicated to us that they will undertake similar protests in UP. At multiple places including Varanasi, we did joint protests. So, I don't think it should be read any other way," he said.Buttressing his argument, he said even allies CPI and the CPM held separate protests in Delhi. "This is not a fight for individual supremacy or political agenda. This is a fight for people's rights. That is what Congress and 21 other political parties achieved."Left leaders protested against fuel price hike, price rise and the Modi government's "anti-people policies" at Jantar Mantar and outside Parliament. CPM general secretary Sitaram Yechury and CPI national secretary D Raja were among Left leaders who courted arrest at the Parliament Street police station.Yechury said rising fuel prices had a cascading inflationary effect which contributed to an economic slowdown and reduced employment opportunities. " BJP boasts of ruling in 21 states. Why can't BJP-ruled state governments reduce the price? It was the Left Front government in Kerala which first reduced fuel price by Re 1 two months ago," he said.