STATE TIMES NEWS
JAMMU: District Congress Committee Jammu (U) concluded the 10- day long nationwide agitational program against price hike of petrol, diesel, LPG and essential commodities with a massive protest at New Plot on Saturday. The protest was organised by Kanta Bhan Vice President JKPCC and Block Congress Committee (Sarwal).
The protesters marched towards the Governor’s House led by Former Minister J&K Raman Bhalla Vice President PCC, Former Minister J&K Yogesh Sawhney General Secretary PCC & Incharge District President Jammu (U), and Kanta Bhan.
Heavy contingent of police deployed at the site stopped the protesters from marching towards the Governor’s House. The protesters raised slogans and held placards criticising the Modi- led Govt. for the overwhelming inflation crisis engulfing the country.
Former Minister Raman Bhalla, addressing the protest, stated that the ongoing inflation has broken the backbone of the country and unraveled a crisis. Middle and Lower income families are having to cut back on food and fuel consumption because they’re unable to meet their daily needs amidst the rising prices.
He said that Modi Government is solely to blame over inflation and rising fuel prices and demanded immediate relief by reducing taxes on petroleum products and import duty on various items. Those who were under financial burden due to the COVID-19 pandemic have been further burdened by the unbearable hikes in the prices of petrol, diesel, cooking gas and all the essential commodities, with no relief coming from the Central Government.
Launching a scathing attack on BJP, he said that despite the plight of the people, the government has continued to increase prices in the recent months. Retail inflation hit 6.3% in May and June and poor households are struggling to buy milk, oil, pulses and many other essential items. Central revenue from taxing petroleum products has multiplied more than five-times in these last seven years. People will be forced to go back to riding bicycles and bullock carts if inflation continues at the rate it is currently going. The Modi government’s shameless silence on the issue is excruciating as well.
The BJP leaders are pretending as if there is no issue of high prices and that people are not suffering. The BJP government, which came to power with the promise to control inflation in the country, is now causing it. Arguing that petrol prices are highest in India, Raman Bhalla blamed Prime Minister Narendra Modi for fleecing the public. He said the Centre was earning profit from the rising prices even as the common man was facing the burden of skyrocketing expenses for running households.
Speaking at the protest, Former Minister Yogesh Sawhney condemned the Centre for their failure to control inflation and letting the common man suffer under the burden of high costs of fuel and essential commodities. He said that the Government is leading an exploitative tax regime. We are going to fight alongside the people of the country with tooth and nail until the prices of all essential commodities are reduced by the government.
Also speaking at the protest, Vice President JKPCC Kanta Bhan stated that the people of India are disappointed in the government for their constant failure in leading the country. Their failure to handle the pandemic was followed by their failure to save India’s economy.