On Thursday, District Congress Committee Jammu Urban held a massive Protest against the excessive price rise of Petrol, Diesel and Gas under the BJP government at Main Road Digana. The protest was led by Working President PCC Raman Bhalla and Former Minister J&K Yogesh Sawhney, General Secretary PCC InCharge District President Jammu (Urban). Under the Mehngai Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan of the Congress party, protests were held across the country by various party units.
Dwarka Choudhary Councillor JMC organised the protest at Digiana, Chief Whip Congress party Raising slogans and carrying placards, they shouted slogans marking their protest against the Modi government for its alleged “anti-people” policies. They also offered garlands on bikes and vehicles as a symbolic gesture signifying the ‘death’ of transport due to extremely high fuel prices.
Speaking at the protest, Working President PCC Raman Bhalla said that Congress had launched a week-long countrywide protest against inflation and the rise in fuel prices. He said Petrol and diesel prices were on Thursday hiked by 80 paise a litre each, taking the total increase in rates in the last ten days to Rs 6.40 per litre. This is the ninth increase in prices since the ending of a four-and-half-month long hiatus in rate revision on March 22.
In all, petrol and diesel prices have gone up by Rs 6.40 per litre each, added Bhalla. Former Minister demanded that the rising costs of Petrol and diesel be brought under control as it has been increased nine times in the last ten days. He said that the rising prices directly affect the poor and the middle-class people, and the government should thus control the prices and inflation and stop increasing the rates.
Bhalla further said that as the fuel prices are continuously rising, Congress has decided to carry out a nationwide programme, ‘Mehngai Mukt Bharat Abhiyan’, to take on the BJP-led central government and is set to organise rallies and marches across the country until April 7.
Demanding fuel prices to be rolled back, Bhalla said, “We had predicted that fuel prices will be hiked as soon as elections in five states will conclude. We demand that fuel prices be rolled back.” He accused the government of “stealing money from the poor” and handing it over to industrialists. “We can see that petrol and diesel prices are climbing rapidly. The government is making thousands of crores from this.
Congress is protesting against this price rise of petrol and diesel. The government has to stop doing this. It has to ensure that prices do not rise,” he added. Bhalla further said that the Centre had made record collections through excise duty since it was hiked two years back to counter a steep increase in international crude prices. However, the hike was never rolled back despite the crude prices dipping later. Therefore, when Petrol, diesel and gas prices did not increase during the elections, it could happen even now, Bhalla said, adding the government should stop this “‘attack on the pockets of the people”.
Also speaking at the protest, Former Minister Yogesh Sawhney asserted that this shameless behaviour of the government needs to end. The people are suffering because of the sharp rise in Diesel, Petrol and Gas prices. The Congress party urges the BJP government to stop this loot at once. We demand that the government control the fuel prices within a bracket that is affordable to the country’s people. The party is protesting across India in various cities and locations to mark our opposition to the dangerously climbing fuel prices.
Party workers will relentlessly pursue a decrease in prices through democratic mediums such as protests, dharnas and awareness programs until the government realises what must be done and takes the necessary actions. People need immediate relief from the burden of these sky-rocketing prices, and the government has a responsibility to do that, he said.