ABOHAR: The Congress party today staged a state-level protest against Central Govt for allowing skyrocketing prices of oil, cooking gas and other essential commodities. The dharna and rally was attended by thousands of people who walked in the form of small processions from different wards.
On the occasion PPCC president Sunil Jakhar strongly attacked the policies of Modi government and said that every section of the society was suffering due to the fatal policies of NDA. He exhorted people teach a lesson to the BJP.
Jakhar said that when the Congress was in power in 2014, the price of crude oil in the international market was 104 American dollar per barrel and now it is around 60 per barrel but prices are being hiked. As a result, consumers in Punjab alone are facing an additional financial burden of Rs. 750 crore every month. Criticizing the Union Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, Jakhar said that the minister was blaming the oil companies for the situation. However, the BJP, which is directly at the Center, is an equal partner in this mess. If the companies owned by corporates get control of agriculture, consumers will have to cry.
He said that Modi government has also increased the price of cooking gas drastically while the subsidy on cylinders has been reduced by 90 per cent as compared to 2014. As per the status in the UPA government, the price of a gas cylinder should have been Rs 350 now which is being charged at Rs 750.
Referring to the Kisan Andolan, he said that the Modi government had enacted three black laws to encourage black market and destroy the agriculture sector. The farmers from different states have been struggling on the Delhi borders for the last two and a half months to get the contentious laws repealed but Iron nails have been laid on the roads to prevent Anndata from entering Delhi. These nails piercing the democracy and if the current situation prevails then they will work as nails in the coffin of BJP. Only by withdrawing such black laws can the farmer be saved.
The PPCC President said that his party had entered the elections in the name of issues that cover welfare of people and development. Referring to the threat of Akali leadership to deploy 500 persons from other constituencies in Abohar on day of polling, he demanded that all of them should be evicted from this constituency after 5 pm tomorrow.
Among those who addressed the dharna protest were former MP Mohan Singh Phalliannwala, Sandeep Jakhar, Vimal Thatai, Sudhir Nagpal, Mohan Lal Thatai, Dev Singh Khaira, Sushil Sihag and Namita Setia.