Shadow Correspondent
Jammu, Mar, 16
The Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee on Tuesday continued protest against the unprecedented hike in prices of petrol, diesel and other essential commodities at New Plot. The protest was organized by JKPCC General Secretary Kanta Bhan and led by JKPCC Vice President Raman Bhalla, Jammu Distt President Urban Yogesh Sawhney, JKPCC Chief Spokesman Ravinder Sharma, Rajnish Sharma JKPCC Treasure, Rajveer Singh and joined by senior leaders besides hundreds of party workers. Prominent among those present on the occasion include Dr. Ramankant Khajuria, Mohan Ch., Sanjeev Panda, Vijay Sharma, Rajinder Singh, Rickey Dalotra, Raj Kumar Meenia, Ajay Kumar, Yash Pal Sangral, Reenu Baloria, Madhu Banraj, Rajeshpal Sharma, Atul Sharma, Gurmeet Singh, Chander Sheikher, Chanchel Dogra, Veena Nath, Anil Kumar, Madam Meena, Jeetu Kumar, Tilak Raj, Varinder Sharma, Kartar Chand, Rajesh Phrihan, Sajad Ali, Pardeep Bhagat, Shikender Khan, Jaipal, Babloo beside others.Holding placards in their hands, protesters raised slogans against BJP Govt demanding immediate rollback of hike in petrol and diesel prices. Units of Congress party including Seva Dal, NSUI, Youth Congress, women wing and others were the part of their protest. The Congress women workers were also accompanied by their male colleagues. The Congress workers ranted the air with anti-government slogans, ruing “the skyrocketing prices” of various essential commodities. Meanwhile protesters while heading towards Governor House to express their resentment over hike in prices of essential commodities were stopped by heavy deployment of Police midway.
Speaking on the occasion, Bhalla maintained that atmosphere in the country at present is such that people are not able to live peacefully. Economy is in critical condition, and employment is not being generated. In such a situation, it is wrong to increase the price of essential commodities. The central government is taking up emotional issues, but till today justice has not been done to needy people. No one is supposed to question the government about its policies, and if do question, they are labeled as anti-nationals. He said, people are in trouble because of BJP Govt’s wrong policies. When Manmohan Singh was the Prime Minister banks were not merged, and economy was in good condition, but ever since the BJP came to power there has been a rise in unemployment, and price hike in petrol and gas. Bhalla blaming the BJP for causing misery and distress to people, said that the government has failed to resolve issues in J&K and instead has amplified the number of problems people are facing today. Locals are distraught and agitated over such an apathetic attitude of the government.
Bhalla said that inflation is raising and the government is unable to control this. Through protest against an exorbitant hike in prices of kitchen gas, diesel and petrol, Bhalla said, party will take the voice of people against this steep rise in prices of essential commodities to the Centre. We will keep pressurizing the central regime, which has completely forsaken the interest of common man, to force it to control spiraling prices. Castigating the Centre for looting the public, the senior Congress leader slammed hike in LPG prices while pointing out that BJP is playing with lives of financially weaker sections of society. The central government has overlooked the common problems of the middle class society and the poor section. The central government is in favour of industrialists. The price of cooking gas has skyrocketed and the amount of subsidy has gone down. Prices of essential goods are also going up. As a result, women are afraid to enter the kitchen. Modi government at the Centre does not care about the common man. The price of cooking gas has gone up and the subsidy for kerosene has been lifted. People will surely teach BJP vital lessons in the upcoming Assembly elections,” he added.
Former Minister further said that prices of essential commodities are continuously rising. We are protesting to wake this callous govt ever,” he added. The LPG cylinders have become unaffordable even for the middle class people; they have been forced to cook their meals on earthen ovens using traditional fuel.Owing to the unprecedented rise in LPG cylinder price, the Modi Govt is leading us to stone age,” Bhalla, echoing his party colleague’s anger. “They first tricked women into adopting LPG cylinders for cooking in the name of their health and now they are forcing them to buy cylinders at such steep prices,” he fumed, adding “It’s a good business tactics.” Resenting Govt’s assertion that the cylinder prices would not be withdrawn, he said, it reveals the dictatorial attitude of the government.” “The way Govt has rejected the demand of withdrawing price hike of LPG cylinders is highly objectionable,” said Bhalla. JKPCC Chief Spo kesman Ravinder Sharma said BJP should learn from Congress how to govern country. Underscoring the fact that Manmohan Singh, when he was the prime minister, never let the prices of oil rise even when the crude oil became costly in the international market, he pointed out that despite the low crude prices internationally the Modi government has not even passed on the benefit of the low price to the public .
Manmohan Singh ji ensured that buying petrol and diesel remains within the reach of the poor people by subsidizing it for masses when prices rose internationally,” he said .The rise in prices of diesel and petrol had a “deleterious cascading” impact that broke the back of those marginalised and poor households, which are finding it difficult to make their ends meet, Sharma said questioning the rationale behind this price hike.Questioning BJP’s “deafening silence” over rise in prices, Sharma said both it has lost the trust of people of J&K forever.
Yogesh Sawhney speaking on the occasion said that many have lost their jobs and instead of decreasing the prices to help people cope with the financial crisis ,BJP Govt has increased the cylinder price by over Rs 150,” he said and accused Govt of being insensitive to the problems faced by women. He lamented that the government instead of enhancing pension that was being paid to the elderly has increased the electricity and water bills, which has increased the cost of living beyond the means of the ordinary middle class.BJP which was brought to power to bring about a change is now taking poor for a ride . The prices of even essential commodities have gone up and the government is time and again bringing us on the streets to protest against their policies which are against the people. Sawhney said practically every second day they are forced to come out on the streets to protest against the anti-people policies of the BJP. This indicates that the central government has no fear and does anything it wants to. The promises made prior to the elections have not been delivered even till today. Hike in petrol and gas prices, and also increase in the price of essential commodities have put general public in quandary,” he said.
Kanta Bhan speaking on the occasion slammed the Modi regime, accusing it of deliberately letting the prices of essential commodities spiral.The BJP has shamelessly exposed itself in its utter failure to govern the country on each front,” she alleged. “The Modi dispensation is conspiring with and sponsoring this atrocious public loot to benefit his corporate friends,” she alleged while hitting out at the central government for “crushing” the poor under the burden of high prices of LPG, diesel and petrol. She said a party which had “stolen” the votes of the poor in the name of development had completely “forsaken” them. “The poor who were already reeling under stress of Covid now cannot make their ends meet, she,” alleged. She further lambasted the Centre for “decimating” small and medium businesses resulting in millions of job and livelihood losses across various sectors of economy.
