The Congress party on Thursday staged Dharna at Shaheedi Chowk in Jammu against the BJP Government for the recent hike in LPG cylinder prices. The sit-in protest was led by Working President PCC Raman Bhalla, Former Minister Yogesh Sawhney General Secretary PCC Incharge District President Jammu (U), Manmohan Singh General Secretary PCC and Hari Singh Chib, District President Jammu Rural.
It was marked by heavy sloganeering against the Modi government, meant to register the Congress workers’ protest against the hike in gas cylinder prices. This was the fourth hike in LPG prices this year when LPG now costs Rs 1,100 per 14.2-kg cylinder in the national capital.
\Former Minister J&K and Working President PCC Raman Bhalla, while speaking at the protest, attacked the BJP-led government at the Centre stating that this is another huge blow to the common man who is struggling under heavy inflation in these times and is unable to keep up with the ever-increasing prices of essential commodities.
The prices for the LPG gas cylinder needed and used in each and every household in India every month has been continuously hiked by the BJP Government and the possibilities of subsidies is nil.
So, most households will buy LPG at exorbitant unsubsidised rates. The policies of the BJP do not indicate in the slightest that they are intentioned with the welfare of the poor and middle class in mind. Combined with their Gabbar Singh Tax (GST) and sky-touching prices, the people are taking a hard-hit due to this BJP inflicted inflation, stated Bhalla.
Taking a dig at the Modi Government, Bhalla further said that BJP government is making the lives of people across the country very difficult. It will be very difficult for families to carry on like this as their budgets are being destroyed by the government’s constant attacks in one form or the other. The government is looting the people in installments by increasing prices of various commodities, by increasing taxes, the whole market has become a big trap for the common people.
The consistent inflation the country has observed under the BJP is perpetrating a cycle of poverty, economic distress, even debt for the poor and the middle class. This government is only serving the interests of the rich and the wealthy class, Bhalla said.
Former Minister J&K Yogesh Sawhney General Secretary PCC Incharge District President Jammu (U), adding to this, said that the people are infuriated at the BJP for looting their pockets and making a joke of their lives. The people have had to bear a lot in the last few years before, during and after the pandemic and policy after policy from the BJP has been detrimental to the lives of crores of families in India.
The government is shamelessly plundering the heard earned incomes and savings of the families and the people have no resort because they have to buy LPG, they have to buy oil, they have to buy petrol, these are all essential commodities. People cannot return to Chulahs so they will be forced to pay the unreasonably high prices set by the government for their LPG cylinders every month to cook and feed their families.
Sawhney further said that BJP must see this the last straw, and a last warning from the Congress and the people, to cut down prices in the best interests of the public, otherwise, we will not step down, he said.
Also speaking at the meeting, Manmohan Singh, General Secretary PCC targeted the BJP Government and criticised it for the ‘blatant loot’ of the country. He said that on one hand, Modi Government talks of sabka vikas, on the other hand, the government mounts up the prices of everyday use commodities to an extent where it is unbearable by an average Indian family.
Hari Singh Chib Said The Modi government’s rich friends might not be affected by these issues, but the majority of the country pays the consequences of these hikes. From fuel to oil to pulses to everything needed in the kitchen, everything is costlier.
Youth President Uday Bhanu Chib Said, The Modi Government wants the people to cry and struggle to even cook proper meals for their familes as thousands and lakhs will struggle to pay the bills. We sincerely urge the government to see the genuine troubles of the common man and reduce prices of LPG cylinders and other essential commodities.
Prominent among those attended Shri Ved Mahajan (Ex-MLC), Sanjeev Panda, Vijay Sharma (Seva Dal Chief), Dr. Rama Kant Khajuria, Uttam Singh Chib, Pradeep Bhalla, Virender Manhas, Col. Swarn Singh, Sandeep Dogra, Sat Pal Spolia,Kewal Krishan Jogi, Ashok Kumar, Jugal Kishore, Pawan Sharma, Vijay Singh Chib, H.S. Bagi, Jatin Vashisht, Suresh Sharma, Vijay Choudhary, Chander Sheikhar Sharma, Atul Sharma, Janak Raj Mehra, Dewan Chand, Ram Magotra, Ashwani Sethi, Rakesh Sharma, Anil Kumar, Vijay Malhotra, Balbir Thachyal, Vinay Sharma, Balwinder Singh Rinku, Darshan Verma, Nageshwar, Madhu Bhardwaj, Rishu Kumar, Gurdeep Singh, Baldev Singh Wazir, Pardeep Kumar (Pinka), Pawan Sharma, Surinder Kumar Dogra and others.