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Jammu: Congress workers’ march to Raj Bhawan foiled
A large number of Congress leaders and activists raised slogans against ‘record-breaking’ rise in prices of petrol, diesel, LPG and other essential commodities
Police on Thursday foiled an attempt by Congress workers led by JKPCC working president Raman Bhalla, along with senior party leaders, to take out a protest march towards Raj Bhawan.
A large number of Congress leaders and activists carrying party flags and placards raised slogans at Shaheedi Chowk against the “record-breaking” rise in prices of petrol, diesel, LPG and other essential commodities, besides large-scale unemployment and glaring irregularities in the draft report of the delimitation commission.
They took out a march towards the Raj Bhawan and a heavy contingent of police had a tough time to prevent the protesters from going ahead on Residency Road.
The senior leadership of the party also prevented the young cadre from forcibly proceeding ahead and peacefully continued their protest for over one hour.
Slamming the J&K LG administration and the central government, Raman Bhalla said regular hikes in the prices of petrol and diesel add to the “sky-rocketing expenses” of households.
“The Modi government at the Centre and the LG government in J&K were revelling at the misery of the people, without taking any corrective measures, as they were making enormous profits from fuel price hikes,” Bhalla added.
The Congress leader questioned the BJP government on the steps taken to control the price hike.
Bhalla said the BJP was looting the people in the name of taxes.
“The BJP government is mercilessly looting the public with hiked fuel prices, as the petrol and diesel rates directly affect the common people. But the Centre has not formulated any policy to deal with the economic slowdown and they pass on the burden to the masses,” he added.
“No government can ignore people’s voice. Hike in petrol and diesel prices will have to be reversed,” he demanded.
Bhalla said when the Congress-led UPA was in power, relief was given to people even though international crude oil prices were soaring, while the Modi government has been raising petrol and diesel prices, burdening the common people.
Addressing the gathering, general secretaries of the JKPCC, Yogesh Sawhney and Manmohan Singh lashed out at the BJP government for ‘crushing’ the poor and common man under huge taxes, leading to record rise in property tax, large-scale unemployment and arbitrary downgrading of the historical state.
