Accusing the govt. of failure to control inflationary tendencies and the steep rise in prices of essential commodities and vegetables in particular, Mr. Harsh Dev Singh, Chairman-JKNPP & former Minister said that the common man’s life had become miserable with his staple diet getting beyond his reach. He pointed out that there had been a four- fold rise in onion prices during the last three months which had rendered the popular vegetable beyond the means of a common man. “The astounding rate of onions reaching upto Rs.150 per kg under Saffron rule and even Rs. 200 per kg in certain states has left masses ‘tear-eyed’. With LPG, diesel, petrol already being costlier, the soaring prices of vegetables and groceries has shattered the budget of a common household with housewives left dazed and confused”, Harsh rued. He regretted that inflation had become a benchmark of BJP’s governance and looting people by burning holes in their pockets become synonymous with Saffron party. He was addressing a largely attended public meeting at Sari Rakwalan in Domana Constituency today. Gagan Pratap Singh, Capt. Anil Gour, Surinder Chouhan, Parshotam Parihar, Nirmal Kishore also accompanied Mr. Singh.
Mr. Singh further pointed out that prices of almost all the pulses and cereals had risen by an appalling rate. “They are spine breaking. Arhar @ Rs.110/kg, Dhoti Moong@ Rs.106/kg, Chana @ Rs.80/kg, have set the common kitchen on fire. Likewise, the prices of edible oils and dairy products had crossed all time high adding further burden on the people”, he regretted.
Lambasting the BJP for its hypocrisy over the inflation, Mr. 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 leaders uttering a word over the soaring prices, he added. He said that NPP shall agitate vigorously to oppose and expose the BJP for its duplicity, deceit and betrayals. He asked the GoI to immediately come up with the measures to control inflation of agri -products to provide relief to the common man against the spiralling prices of staple vegetables and essential commodities.
Having failed to bring the dwindling economy back on rails, Mr. Singh said that govt. was raking up controversial issues only to divert the attention of the people from prevailing economic crises. He said that falling GDP, growing unemployment with large scale retrenchment in the private sector due to economic slowdown besides ever declining purchasing power of rupee had posed the most serious challenges to which the govt. had failed to respond appropriately.
Meanwhile several people including the youth of Sari Rakwalan joined Panthers Party. Prominent among those who joined NPP included Roshan Lal Verma, Rakesh Bakshi, Satpaul, Lal Chand, Balbir Singh, Kuldeep Singh, Sardar Kehar Singh, Charan Dass, Rajesh Kumar, Ragubir Singh besides others.