Shadow Correspondent
Jammu, June, 02
Accusing the GoI of failure to control raging inflation which has led to steep rise in prices of petrol, diesel, LPG and grocery essentials, scores of Panther activists led by Mr. Harsh Dev Singh Chairman-JKNPP and Mr. Yash Paul Kundal Ex-Minister & General Secretary-JKNPP staged a thundering protest demonstration at Press Club in Jammu today. While torching the effigy of the BJP govt, the enraged protestors raised slogans of “Hum Do Hamare Do, Diesel 90 Petrol 100”, “Jab se BJP sarkaar ayee, kamar todh mehangayi layee”, “Modi Sarkar, hai hai”.
Speaking to media, Mr. Harsh Dev Singh said that with hefty excise duty, road cess, VAT on fuel and additional farm cess being levied, the petrol and diesel prices had sky rocketed to Rs.100/- per litre and 90/- per litre respectively. And with the petrol and diesel becoming dearer, the price of domestic LPG cylinder had further soared to Rs. 900/- per cylinder. The bizarre hike in price of fuel and gas has added to the woes of the common masses, Harsh rued. Regretting that the common man’s life had become miserable in view of the raging inflation, he pointed out that there had been frequent surges in the prices of onions, tomatoes etc during the BJP rule which had rendered the popular vegetables beyond the reach of people. “The astounding rates of groceries including dairies, cereals, pulses and edible oils have also broken the spine of common man. With the mustard oil hitting Rs. 220/- a litre, the budget of a common household has crashed leaving housewives hapless to arrange kitchen fire”, lamented Harsh. He said that inflation had become a benchmark of BJP’s governance and looting people by burning holes in their pockets has become synonymous with Saffron party.
Holding the central BJP rule culpable for the surge in COVID pandemic that had struck the nation, Mr. Harsh Dev Singh rued that the Saffron party not only floundered to provide the much needed health infrastructure, essential drugs and vaccines etc to save the precious lives, but had miserably failed to control inflation which had reached a new high during its rule. “The fast spiraling prices of fuel, gas, vegetables, etc had multiplied the woes and sufferings of the marginalized sections. The poor workforce was rendered jobless and unemployment problem had assumed alarming proportions. The fast rising prices of essential commodities at such a crucial juncture had invariably shaken the faith of the common masses in the BJP govt. The poor people and daily earners not only faced the threat of corona contagion but felt extremely insecure in the wake of starvation staring them in the face due to loss of livelihood.
Mr. Yash Paul Kundal said that uncontrolled inflatory tendencies had triggered public revulsion which could force them to come on roads to agitate. “Panthers party will expose the BJP govt for its duplicity, deceit and betrayals,” Singh asserted. He also exhorted the GoI to immediately come up with the measures to control inflation of petro and agri-products to provide relief to the common man against the spiralling prices of essential commodities.
Prominent among those who spoke on the occasion included Rajesh Padgotra, Gagan Pratap Singh, Khajoor Singh, Rajeshwar Sambyal, Mohinder Singh, Vishab Singh, Kulveer Sambyal, Parladh Singh, Ved Raj Sharma, Shankaar Singh Sanju, Rashpaul Singh, Gurjeet Singh, Ajay Singh, Vijay Sharma, Sohan Lal, Vijay Singh besides others.
