Farmers Movement Archive

Cong organises unique protest against high fuel rates

Ludhiana: Congress leader KK Bawa, who is also state president of Desh Bhagat Yadgari Society, organised a unique protest march against the central government’s failure to control the rates of fuel and LPG in the country. Bawa marched from Jagraon bridge till the mini-secretariat, along with his supporters and elephants, as a mark of protest against the Centre. At Jagraon bridge, the protesters also paid obeisance at the statue of the martyrs Shaheed-e-Azam Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev. Giving more information, Bawa said, “Modi government has back-stabbed common man, poor, farmers, middle class and small businessmen. Be it diesel, petrol or LPG, all these fuels are connected directly with the savings and earnings of the people and after the central government deliberately did not take any measures to bring down their rates, inflation has risen manifold, thus affecting lives of everyone. Thursday’s march with elephants and tractors was just a small initiative to make people aware about the misdeeds of Modi government.” He added, “We have sent a memorandum to the PM through the deputy commissioner, in which we have strongly demanded that the rates of petroleum products be revised immediately and farm bills be withdrawn at the earliest. When Manmohan Singh was the Prime Minister, the rates of petrol and diesel were at lowest point in the country, but now under the Modi government, the rates of petrol and diesel have gone up. On the other hand, the BJP is selling public sector enterprises of the country to big industrial houses for peanuts. Modi and his cabinet should shun their arrogance and listen to the problems of the people, especially farmers.” Meanwhile, Congress party workers led by MLA Surinder Dawar also staged a protest against the central government for ‘failure’ to control the rising rates of fuel. Speaking on the occasion, Dawar said, “Petrol diesel and gas rates have sky-rocketed, but Prime Minister Narendra Modi has failed to do anything till now and instead he and his party are busy playing politics over farm laws. The rate of crude oil has gone down to an all-time low in the world, but in our country the rates of petrol, diesel, LPG and other allied products have touched an all-time high level. We want to ask the government where are their leaders who used to hit the roads when even a single paisa hike of petrol and diesel took place when they were not in power. In fact, the silence of BJP leaders have exposed their hypocrisy and time is not far when this saffron party will be uprooted from power by common man, farmers and businessmen.”

The Times of India

2021-02-12

Ludhiana