| News Details |
| Congress continues protest against hike in petroleum products | | BJP increasing burden of tax on public, govt policies putting common people into trouble: Mir |
Jammu, March 14 (Scoop News)-The Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee on Sunday protested against the unprecedented hike in prices of petrol, diesel and other essential commodities across the Union territory, including Jammu city at Dayalachak today. The protest was led by JKPCC Chief GA Mir & JKPCC Vice President Raman Bhalla, Haji Rasheed and joined by senior leaders besides hundreds of party workers. The protest was organized by former MLC Th Balbir Singh. Holding placards in their hands, protesters raised slogans against BJP Govt demanding immediate rollback of hike in petrol and diesel prices. Units of Congress party including Seva Dal, NSUI, Youth Congress, women wing and others were the part of their protest.Prominent among those present on the occasion include Rajnesh Sharma, Girdhari Lal, Pankaj Dogra, Paramjeet Singh, Ravinder pal Singh, Satpal Bhandari, Gurdyal Singh, Kewal Singh, Nirodh Sharma, Kulbir Pathiania, Romy Sharma, Ch. Balbir Singh, Karan Singh, Satish Sharma, Vijay Kumar, Romesh Kumar, Santosh Kumar, Dewan Khajuria, Romesh Verma, Bhajan Lal Saini, Ch. Sultan Ahmed, DesRaj Raina, Jasbir Singh, Raj Pal, Vinod Singh, Sudesh Spolia, Pankaj Sharma, Latish Sharma, Jatin Vishisht, Atul Sharma beside others.
After protest demonstration, addressing mammoth public gathering, Mir claimed that petrol and diesel prices directly affected the common people but the Centre had not formulated any policy to deal with the economic slowdown.The Centre passed on the burden to the masses,” he added. He also condemned efforts to implement property tax in J&K.JKPCC Chief said that from day one Congress has launched nationwide protest against the insensitive petroleum hike. Through protest and Dharna in different parts of UT, Congress leaders raising the issue of cruel price hike not only on the roads in the form of dharnas but also an extensive online campaign was also run by the party where all big leaders and lakhs of party workers and members raised the issue on various social media platforms .The Congress has been demanding that tax on petrol and diesel be reduced and the common people given relief in prices of fuel. "The so-called 'double engine' BJP governments are fooling the people of country.
Mir said that the party hitting streets as the administrative inertia is eating into vitals of the people. This regime is acting brazenly adding to the woes of the people. He urged the government to respond to their demands, as these issues are of immense public importance. JKPCC Chief said that many challenges have been compounded by runaway inflation and an unprecedented rise in price of almost all household items and essential commodities,” . Stressing that fuel prices are at an “historic and unsustainable” high, he said petrol has breached the Rs 100 per litre mark in many parts of the country and the surging price of diesel has added to the escalating woes of millions of farmers.“What baffles most citizens, is that these prices have been increased despite moderate prices of international crude oil. What is equally distressing is that despite being in power for almost seven years now, the government continues to blame previous regimes for its own economic mismanagement, he said. To set the record straight, domestic crude oil production has fallen to an 18-year low in 2020, he said.
Mir further said that government is resolute on squeezing money out of the public's pockets in any way possible, from needless taxes which are swindled in the name of development, to the persistent price hike that has become the reality of today. The fuel price hike has not only hit the traders but also farmers, students, daily wage earners and other sections of the society. Befooling the public into paying high taxes when their hands are already tight because of a slow post-pandemic recovery, is a huge problem. If the international crude oil prices are low, why are the people of India paying such high prices for fuel? On what basis does it decide on the prices of petroleum products every day and what is the explanation for subjecting people to this cruelty? This uncontrolled inflation coupled with a raging pandemic and this government's crude policies has inflicted a lot of misery upon a lot of sections of people in India. Even at a time when the economy is on path to recovery and the common man is suffering, the government is unwilling to sacrifice even part of their income, added Mir.
Mir said that Since BJP took over in 2014, the miseries of the people of Jammu and Kashmir have increased manifolds. He said that all the promises made to the people prior to the Assembly elections of 2014 remained unfulfilled. Nearly seven years have passed but they have failed to fulfill any of the promises, be it the problems faced by the border residents, be it the problems faced by the farmers, be it the problems of Refugees and Kashmiri Pandits, this government has done nothing to address those problems," JKPCC Chief said. "The prices of essential commodities have increased and it has become difficult for not only the poor but also the middle class to afford these. The ever increasing inflation is taking a toll on the common masses of this country," he said. He lambasted the Centre for "decimating" small and medium businesses resulting in millions of job and livelihood losses across various sectors of economy. Underscoring the fact that Manmohan Singh, when he was the Prime Minister, never let the prices of oil rise even when the crude oil became costly in the international market, he pointed out that despite the low crude prices internationally the Modi government has not even passed on the benefit of the low price to the public.
Speaking on the occasion, Bhalla blaming the BJP for causing misery and distress to people, said that the government has failed to resolve issues in J&K and instead has amplified the number of problems people are facing today. Locals are distraught and agitated over such an apathetic attitude of the government. Levying property tax is another misery added to the heaps and piles. The public will be adversely affected and there is possibly no good that can come out of this that outweighs the hardships it will cause. It is not plausible, therefore, that a tax like this implemented at this point. Secondly, lakhs of jobs have been lost and the economy is at its lowest ebb, an increase in petrol and diesel prices increase inflation day by day. We have to keep challenging the government on its exploits unless the government wakes up and rolls back these decisions.
Speaking on the occasion, senior Congress leader slammed the Modi regime, accusing it of "deliberately" letting the prices of essential commodities spiral."The BJP has shamelessly exposed itself in its utter failure to govern the country on each front," he alleged."The Modi dispensation is conspiring with and sponsoring this atrocious public loot to benefit his corporate friends," he alleged while hitting out at the central government for "crushing" the poor under the burden of high prices of LPG, diesel and petrol.The former Minister said a party which had "stolen" the votes of the poor in the name of development had completely "forsaken" them."The poor who were already reeling under stress of Covid now cannot make their ends meet, while the PM's close corporate friends become richer each second by millions," alleged Bhalla.
The rise in prices of diesel and petrol had a "deleterious cascading" impact that broke the back of those marginalized and poor households, which are finding it difficult to make their ends meet, Bhalla said questioning the rationale behind this price hike. Questioning their "deafening silence" over rise in prices, Bhalla said BJP has "lost" the trust of people of J&K forever. Former Minister claimed that it is the Congress which introduced pro-people policies and Land Reform Acts and reservation for the weaker sections of the society. The BJP leaders have no concern for the poor. Instead, it protects the interests of corporates. They will never protect the interests of the poor. They will speak about the poor only to gain votes.
Th. Balbir Singh in his address said the hike on essentials items have pushed the people to the wall, despite the failure of the Centre Govt to contain the price hike, Prime Minister is making false claims about the development of the Country, but the people of the country have realized that the Nation has suffered immensely on every count during nearly seven years rule of BJP Govt. He lashed out at BJP for giving lies and deceit to people rather than fulfilling the promise Narinder Modi has made to people, as a result, there is a large-scale resentment among the people in the entire Country. While attacking the Narendra Modi-led NDA government at the centre, Singh said that since the change of guard happened in New Delhi, the prices of essential commodities have increased manifold. Singh claimed that after mirror shown to BJP in recently concluded DDC elections where it could win only 75 out of 280 seats, it is day dreaming and befooling people and BJP can never come to power in J&K again.
Haji Rasheed in his address said that by increasing the prices of petrol, diesel and LPG cylinders again, the Modi government has made it clear that it was not concerned about the problems of the common people he said. Common people are badly hit by inflation. Petrol and diesel prices are increasing continuously despite the low prices of crude oil in the international market," he said. It is a pity for the Modi government that a new record is being set in the prices of petrol and diesel," he said. Attacking the Central government over the rising prices of petrol and diesel prices, he accused the BJP regime of "extorting money from people" and sought an immediate rollback of the increase in prices of petroleum products. He said that people were battling corona virus pandemic and the government has increased price of diesel and petrol.
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