DEHRADUN: Former chief minister Harish Rawat on Monday came out for the first time after the humiliating defeat in the Uttarkhand elections, and staged a sit in protest against the Centre for doubling the prices of PDS foodgrains meant for APL families.
On one hand, the Narendra Modi-led government misses no opportunity in patting its back for distribution of LPG connections under its Ujjawala scheme but increased the price of LPG by more than Rs 300 per cylinder, he said.
“The Modi government has squeezed out the people of their share of LPG subsidy. It raised the price of wheat from Rs 4 per kg during the Congress rule to Rs 8.60 per kilogram and the price of rice from Rs 7 to Rs 15 per kg. It’s amply clear that the BJP governments have no concern for the poor and downtrodden section of the society,” Rawat said to Congress workers at Gandhi Park near the party headquarters.
“We, the Congress led UPA government, provided cheapest food grain to the people while this government is doing opposite.”
Rawat said the BJP government in Uttarakhand has treaded the path shown by Modi government in Delhi. “They have burdened the people of Uttarakhand by increasing water and power prices. We will keep fighting against it. The Congress workers will have to fight non-stop for victory but unlike BJP, ours will be by democratic means and not by hook or by crook. They have tampered EVMs for winning elections, but we will defeat their machinations,” he said.
{{/usCountry}}Rawat said the BJP government in Uttarakhand has treaded the path shown by Modi government in Delhi. “They have burdened the people of Uttarakhand by increasing water and power prices. We will keep fighting against it. The Congress workers will have to fight non-stop for victory but unlike BJP, ours will be by democratic means and not by hook or by crook. They have tampered EVMs for winning elections, but we will defeat their machinations,” he said.
{{/usCountry}}The former chief minister also requested Congress state president Kishore Upadhyay to launch a statewide campaign against the PDS foodgrains price rise.