Accusing the BJP of having miserably failed to control inflation scores of women activists of Mahila Panthers spearheaded by Mrs. Manju Singh General Secretary JKNPP and other leaders staged a thundering protest demonstration at Exhibition Ground in Jammu today on the occasion of visit of central Ministers to J&K. Infuriated over the sharp rise in prices of fuel, LPG, staple vegetables and groceries, the protestors raised slogans of ‘Central Ministers Go Back’,‘Jab se Modi sarkaar ayee, kamar todh mehangayi layee’, ‘Bahut ho gayee mehangayi ki maar, nahin chahiye Modi sarkaar’, ‘BJP ka ek hi sapna, Ram Ram japna, paraya maal apna’. They tried to take out a procession which was thwarted by police leading to clashes with injuries to several female activists.
Describing India’s Petrol and Diesel prices costliest in Southeast Asia, Mrs. Manju Singh said that at the time when GST had been introduced to rationalise indirect taxes in the country, it was indeed unjustifiable to keep petro-products outside the ambit of new taxation regime. “If the petrol at Rs. 77 per litre on an average current rate was brought under GST, it would cost as little as Rs. 45 per litre and diesel at Rs. 69 per litre on an average current rate would cost Rs. 40 per litre”, Manju explained. She further pointed out that with the petrol and diesel becoming dearer, the price of domestic LPG cylinder had also soared. LPG at Rs. 761 per cylinder has added to the woes of the house wives, she rued.
Asserting that soaring price of fuel has led to steep rise in transportation fares, Mrs. Singh said it had also turned other essential commodities dearer. She figured out that price of onion at Rs. 60 per kg had rendered the staple vegetable beyond the reach of a common man. “The astounding rate of garlic at Rs.200 per kg, tomatoes at Rs. 40 per kg, peas at Rs. 50 per kg, green leafy vegetables at Rs.30-40 per kg, beans at Rs. 60 per kg, lemons at Rs. 60 per kg, etc has shattered the budget of a common household with housewives left dazed and confused”, anguished Manju revealed . She regretted that inflation had become a benchmark of BJP’s governance and looting people by burning holes in their pockets had always been its nasty motive. Anguished over the sky rocketing prices of groceries, she pointed out that prices of almost all the essentials including pulses and cereals had risen by an appalling rate. “They are spine breaking. Desi ghee at 475 per kg, Mustard oil at Rs. 132 per litre, Basmati rice at Rs. 100 per kg, Sugar at 44 per kg, Chana dal at Rs. 70 per kg, Grams at Rs. 70-90 per kg, Mash dal at Rs.122 per kg, Moong dal at Rs.108 per kg, Masoor dal at 72 per kg, Rajmah 155-180 per kg, Arhar dal at 108 per kg, Roungi at 86 per kg, Turmeric powder Rs. 220 per kg, Red chilly powder at 440 per kg, etc. have set the common kitchen on fire. Likewise, the prices of dairy products had also crossed all time high adding further burden on the people”, she regretted.
Lambasting the BJP for its hypocrisy over the inflation, Mrs. Singh reminded that while the BJP was in opposition, its front line leaders wasted no time to lodge series of protest demonstrations at every nook and corner of the country against the price rise of essential commodities. But now when the Saffron party having been in power, the inflation rate had peaked all time high and broken all records with none of its Ministers uttering a word over the soaring prices, she added. “BJP which was voted to power in the country and the state had failed to realize its grandiloquent promise of good governance, development, employment opportunities, literacy, poverty alleviation, etc and was only indulging in rabble rousing and hollow rants for vote bank politics”, Manju said. She maintained that NPP shall agitate on every nook and corner of Jammu Pradesh to oppose and expose the BJP for its duplicity, deceit and betrayals. She asked the GoI to immediately come with the measures to control inflation of petro and agri-products to provide relief to the common man against the spiralling prices of fuel, gas, staple vegetables and essential commodities.
Prominent among those who spoke on the occasion included Renu Singh, Sunita, Anita Choudhary, Seema, Rajni, Meena, Yogita, Kiran Devi, Kamala, Sudesh, Neeraj, Asha Rani, Rita Devi, Anju, Neelam Kumari, Reeta Kumari, Anju Bala besides others.