MT News Service
Jammu, February 10:
District Congress Committee Jammu Urban, on Wednesday, held a demonstration and Dharna at Shaheedi Chownk, Jammu against the BJP government to protest the incessant hike in petrol, diesel and gas prices across the country. The protest was organized by DCC Jammu (U) and led by Former Minister Vice President JKPCC Shri Raman Bhalla; Former Minister Shri Yogesh Sawhney- General Secretary JKPCC & In-charge District President Jammu (U), Th.Manmohan Singh, General Secretary JKPCC and JKPCC Chief Spokesperson Ravinder Sharma .
Senior leaders accompanied by other leaders and workers held strong protest amidst raising slogans and carrying play cards against price hike of petrol and diesel, the senior leaders and prominent activists held a protest demonstration expressing anger of the people against rising prices. They raised slogans against Modi govt. for heavily burdening the poor and common man when the prices of crude oil are at lowest sides as compared to UPA government but unprecedented hike in unjustified and should be rolled back. . During the protest, they displayed placards with anti-BJP government slogans like “Down down anti-people economy police of BJP government”, Modi’s achhe din becomes a burden for all (India), etc. One of the placards also read “We condemn the price hike in petrol, diesel and cooking gas”.
Speaking on the occasion, Bhalla attacking Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Central government over the rise of petrol and diesel price, alleged that excise duty on diesel has been hiked by 820 per cent and 258 per cent on petrol in the last six years. The party has demanded an explanation of how exactly has the government spent Rs 20 lakh crore that it “collected by multiple hikes in excise duty on both petrol and diesel” in last six years. Excise duty is a form of tax imposed on goods for their production, licensing and sale. Former Minister said, “today, in Jammu, the petrol prices have reached an all-time high of Rs 88.70 a litre. Diesel has reached Rs 75.88 litre and what is more shocking is the fact that during the Congress’ regime, when UPA left power in May 2014, the international crude oil prices were 108 dollars per barrel. It has come down to all most half, which is 55.52 dollar per barrel. He alleged that the central government has earned more than Rs 20 lakh crore from this “additional” excise tax and if the “Central government reduces the additional excise, withdraws the additional excise, which it has changed in the last six years, the petrol prices will fall down to Rs 61.92 and diesel price will fall down to Rs 47.51.” “The Central Government has collected through petrol and diesel excise more than 20 lakh crore rupees in the last 6 years. So, where this huge amount has gone? Our Jawans, our government employees, their DA is being cut. Our small entrepreneurs, our MSMEs, they are continuously under pressure from the bank to repay the loans and they are continuously under the pressure of the taxation authorities. There is huge unemployment across the country. The farmers are committing suicide, so where has this amount of more than Rs 20 lakh crore has gone?” he asked. Commenting upon the price in LPG, he said, “As far as the LPG is concerned, I would like to remind you that during our time we used to give 12 cylinders as subsidized for LPG that almost stands withdrawn. At the moment, the LPG in the open market is around Rs 775 per cylinder, whereas LPG in the open market without subsidy during our time again as I have said 12 cylinders per year, the subsidized rate were much lower.
Bhalla attacked the BJP government at the Centre for allegedly engaging in “extortion from the people” and “profiteering” at a time of Covid-19 crisis. Taking part in the protest, Bhalla alleged the BJP government at the Centre of “looting” poor people by hiking the price of diesel, petrol and cooking gas. “At a time when the crude prices are at an all-time low, the prices of petrol, diesel and cooking gas are at their highest,” he alleged. He demanded the government a roll-back of the increase in prices while alleging that the incessant hike in fuel prices was an additional burden to the common people who were at the limit of their woes owing to the Covid-19 induced lockdown for months. He further alleged that BJP-led NDA government at the Centre of amassing a huge profit on account of exorbitantly increased in Central excise duties on petrol and diesel. He charged the government with profiteering at the expense of the people, saying its duty was to help them in times of crisis and not make profits out of their hard-earned money.Congress leader asked the government to stop profiteering from the motor fuel and roll back the recent hikes.He said, “The affect of rise in diesel and petrol prices are two-fold. One that you pay directly, and the other due to rise in prices of consumer products, including essential items.”He said, “Due to the coronavirus crisis, demand for fuel has fallen all over the world. Despite having full stock of fuel, the government has burdened the common people by increasing fuel prices continuously.”Such a steep hike has not been affected in 70 years, he said, adding that it is “unprecedented”.
Bhalla said, “The poor and the middle class have been severely hit by the recent hikes. Such a situation has not been seen in any other country. All the countries are helping its people during the coronavirus crisis. The Centre has hammered the people when the country is facing economic slowdown. No government has hit its people so hard before.”He said petrol and diesel prices directly affect the common people but the Centre has not formulated any policy to deal with the economic slowdown and they passed on the burden to the masses.”No government can ignore people’s voice. Hike in petrol and diesel prices will have to be reversed,” he demanded.
He 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 and the farmers already facing hardships due to the corona virus pandemic.
Bhalla blamed the BJP for its total failure to address the genuine problems of the people. He took stock of the problems of people being aggravated by the Govt at the behest of ruling BJP, by series of anti-people and anti-youth decisions. He said the nation is seeking answer from PM Modi as to what was he able to achieve on the promises he made to people during his election campaign in 2014. People want to know where the 10 crore jobs are and what about other promises. Former minister lashed out at the BJP for yet again making false promises to people in its so-called vision document for DDC polls. He said that so far BJP has only befooled people with false promises. Being the ruling party at the Centre and having secured heavy mandate in the elections from Jammu region, he blamed BJP for its total failure to address the genuine problems and concerns of the people. He said the Central Government and UT administration took several decisions against the wishes and aspirations of the general people, taking advantage of the situation, forcing people to protest.
Former Minister Sawhney speaking on the occasion said the spiraling prices of essential commodities has badly affected the middle classes and the poor families, which refuse to stabilize despite concern shown and promises made by the government.While alleging BJP for hypocrisy over the inflation, he said that when the party was in opposition, its front line leaders wasted no time to lodge series of protests at every nook and corner of the country against the price rise of essential commodities but now when the party came in power for the last 6 years, the inflation rate had peaked all time high and broken all records with none of its leaders uttering a word over the soaring prices. Seeking urgent measures to ensure no more job loss because of the pandemic situation, said that unemployment and inflation, which are all time high in India, have pushed people to the verge of starvation where poor are attempting suicides.
Former Minister lamented that unemployment and inflation in Jammu and Kashmir were all time high, financial health of the people was not good while the present pandemic has snatched away the source of livelihood from billions.“Thousands of youth have gone jobless and their families are at the verge of starvation,” he said and demanded emergency measures to ensure no more job loss in all the sectors. He also urged upon the administration to streamline the salaries of all daily rated workers as they had not been paid for months and sometimes years together. He also urged the administration to regularize the services of all daily-rated workers to secure their future. The former Minister also demanded recruitment notification for vacancies of all the departments which are lying vacant since long to absorb educated youth that will also help in lowering down unemployment. Accusing the BJP of disregarding the aspirations of the people of J&K and ignoring the burning issues of masses in J&K, the former Minister said that BJP had given wide publicity to public issues during 2019 elections with high hopes generated amongst various sections of society which eventually ended in smoke. He demanded that the Government should immediately announce the suspension of the three “anti-farm” laws. He said the Congress was not like the BJP which, he alleged, compromised on secularism for the sake of attaining power. “To keep the country integral and united, the Constitution refers to secularism and this ideology is in the interest of the nation,” he said. He said instead of discussing failure in providing jobs, depriving the youth and businessmen of better services, snatching land rights and statehood, BJP only thumping its chest over imaginary development in J&K.
Th. Manmohan Singh advised the BJP to stop rhetoric and focus on development and employment in marginalized Jammu and Kashmir. He claimed that Union Govt has failed to reach out to the people of Jammu and Kashmir, initiate meaningful and genuine democratic process in order to fill the political vacuum caused due to their wrong policies and programmes. He said Congress has made immense contribution towards nation building and sustaining peace, amity, harmony, democracy, progress and development of Jammu and Kashmir during most testing times. Not listening to political leadership and aggrieved people is the biggest setback to democratic polity apart from undermining their contribution who stood tall in most turbulent situations, he added. Instead of addressing the real issues, BJP’s leaders are indulging in vilification campaign against opponents, ignoring the fundamental fact that participation of all mainstream forces is a direct answer to Pakistan and the gun culture sponsored by it. Such utterances of the top ruling party leaders are highly irresponsible and create hatred and division in the society,” Singh said. JKPCC Chief Spokesman Ravinder Sharma urged upon the administration of Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha to pay urgent attention as the public is suffering badly. He said that the BJP’s claim of providing ‘pro-people’ governance stand exposed as Central Government has failed miserably to address the issues affecting the general public. He castigated the BJP government, saying that the common man is going through the worst sufferings under the current dispensation, which has sold its soul to few businessmen, ignoring the agonies of the countrymen. He said that the country is presently going through a state of crisis.“The graph of the inflation is on a constant rise, the fuel prices have touched the sky, and tens of lakhs of the farmers across the country are protesting for the last two and a half months for repeal of three farm laws aiming to snatch their right over their own lands. The victims of these three issues are the common men, the countrymen who are the true sons of the soil,” said Sharma.“The BJP claims that theirs is a government of the people, for the people. I ask them to explain how it could be a public friendly government when the common man is suffering from these issues for so long now,” he asked.
Prominent leader who took part in the protest include Krishan Lal Gupta, Sanjeev Panda, Thomas Khokhar, Madan Lal Malagar, Ramakant Khajuria, Corporators Dwarka Choudhary, Rajinder Singh Jamwal, Ritu Choudhary, Bano Mahajan & Sobat Ali, Uttam Singh Chib, Pawan Dev Singh, Varinder Manhas, Vinod Kohli, Rajesh Sharma Amrit Bali, Jatinder Singh Chib, Maichal Wazir, Mandeep Singh, Yudvir Singh, Surinder Singh Dutt, Kulbushan Sharma, Raj Kumar Meenia, Ajay Kumar, Vijay Sharma, Kewal Krishan Joigi, Yash Pal Sangral, H.S. Bagi, Chander Sheikhar Sharma, Ram Magotra, S. Gurmit Singh, Ravi Singh, Rakesh Sharma, Raj Kumar Sodi, Sanjay Kumar, Anil Kumar, Rishu Kumar, Vijay Singh Chib, Sat Pal Spolia, Sandeep Dogra, Dewan Chand, Pradeep Bhalla, Vijay Khajuria, Vijay Choudhary, Surinder Sodi, Suresh Sharma, Vijay Sharma, Baldev Singh Wazir, Teja Singh, Jatin Vashisht, Gagan Bral, Harvinder Kour, Paras Ram Balouria, Madan Amna, Balwinder Singh Rinku, Barinder Pratap Singh, J.J. Singh and others.
