Shadow Correspondent
JAMMU, JUN 02:
Peeved over the sharp rise in prices of petrol, diesel and gas besides other essential commodities during the last four years of the BJP regime, scores of Panther activists spearheaded by Mr. Harsh Dev Singh Chairman JKNPP, Mr. Yash Paul Kundal State President Young Panthers and other leaders staged a vociferous protest demonstration at Exhibition Ground Jammu today. The agitated protestors amid raising anti-BJP slogans torched its effigy to express their resentment over the current inflation in the country which had broken the back of the common masses.
Describing India’s Petrol and Diesel prices costliest in Southeast Asia, Mr. Harsh Dev Singh divulged that while the international prices of crude oil had fallen sharply from an annual average of $105 per barrel in 2013-14 to $ 55 in 2017-18, the Centre had hiked excise duty on petrol and diesel over ten times. He further said that at the time when GST had been introduced to rationalise indirect taxes in the country, it was indeed hypocritical to keep petro-products outside the GST ambit in order to raise additional central revenues.
Addressing the media, Mr. Harsh Dev Singh lambasted BJP for its hypocrisy and double speak over the inflation issue. He 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 for the last four years, the inflation rate had peaked all time high and broken all records with none of its Ministers uttering a word over the soaring prices.
Prominent among those who spoke on the occasion included Rajesh Padgotra, Gagan Partap Singh, Shanker Singh Chib, Sham Gorkha, Khajoor Singh, Nirmal Kishore, Rajesh Gondhi, Shankaar Singh, Rajeshwar Singh, Mohinder Singh, Rohit Sharma, Sansar Chand besides others.
