STATE TIMES NEWS
JAMMU: To condemn the Centre over petrol prices breaching the Rs 100-mark in J&K, the Congress activists led by JKPCC Vice President Raman Bhalla on Sunday held strong protest against BJP Govt over price hike of petroleum products and essential elements at Bahu Fort Ward 47.
Activists holding placards and LPG cylinders raised slogans against BJP Govt for continuously raising prices of essential commodities including petrol, diesel and LPG.
The Congress said the agitation would be intensified if the price hike was not rolled back.
The Congress leaders said petrol and diesel are being sold at high prices because of the exorbitant duty levied on them and the Centre has earned hefty revenue out of it over the past few years.
Prominent among those who joined protest include Ramakant District Vise President, Jatinder Chib Block President, Diwan Chand Dist General Secretary, Mullah Raj, Chaman Lal, Lati Arna President Ward 48, Gagan Neal Pancho, Smt Harmoniser Kour Ex Panch, Sahil Avotra, Gopal Sharma, Mangat Ram, Har Dutt, Dev Raj, Pintu, Amit, Anil, Sachin, Tara Chand, Balram Langeh, Manohar Lal Dalotra, Pawan Kumar.
Speaking on the occasion, Bhalla said that general public is facing hardships because of the high taxes on the petrol levied by the Centre.
It has aggravated the problems of the common people who have already been facing financial crisis due to job losses amid COVID-19 pandemic.
The Congress-led UPA government had successfully kept the petrol diesel prices under control despite high crude oil prices in the international market.
Modi government has levied exorbitant taxes and duties on petrol and diesel,” Bhalla said.
Bhalla said that emotive slogans have retarded the growth of Jammu and Kashmir during the past seven years, increased unemployment and paralysed economy.
Jammu has suffered the most as the BJP took people for-granted and did virtually nothing instead of making fast promises.
And, the height is that instead of apologising to the people for their failures on all fronts, the BJP leaders are brazenly testing their patience by again indulging in rhetoric.
If they would have bothered to feel the pulse of the public sensitivity, they would have known where they stand.
The period of despondency will definitely be taken over by hope and promise of better tomorrow, he maintained.
“Till then, it is incumbent upon the administration to speed up development, which has been in silent mode for the past seven years and take measures to fill up the vacancies on fast track basis so that educated unemployed find some sort of succour”, Bhalla said, hoping that the administration will also ensure completion of various mega projects in the Jammu region that have already crossed several deadlines.