Cong leaders ride horse-carts, pull tractors to protest fuel price hike
CHANDIGARH/KARNAL/JAMMU/DHARAMSHALA:The Punjab, Haryana, Himachal and J&K units of the Congress on Monday held protest against the fuel price hike by the BJP-led Centre, with party leaders saying it is bound to have a cascading effect and burden the common people, including the farmers, who are already facing hardships due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Punjab Congress president Sunil Jakhar led the protests at Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar and slammed the Centre for raising the fuel prices repeatedly every few days despite the international crude oil prices remaining low. Jakhar along with MLA Angad Saini, Punjab Youth Congress chief Barinder Dhillon and other local leaders pulled a tractor with ropes.
“When the Congress was in power in 2014, the price of crude oil was 104 dollars per barrel and the price of diesel was Rs 63 per litre. Now, crude oil is hardly 40 dollars per barrel but still the price of diesel has reached Rs 80,” he said, demanding an explanation from the Modi government.
Similar protests were held in Amritsar, Sangrur, Patiala, Faridkot and Bathinda.
The Haryana unit of the Congress too held statewide protests against the hike in fuel prices. Haryana Congress president Kumari Selja led the protest in Karnal, which is chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar’s home constituency. Several party workers rode bullock carts to protest against the hike in fuel prices. In Sonepat, Rohtak and Jhajjar, the protests were led by Rajya Sabha member Deepender Hooda.
The Jammu and Kashmir Congress leader and former minister Raman Bhalla said, “The BJP government is fleecing people by imposing heavy taxes.
The Congress also protested against the rising fuel prices in Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh. Led by Himachal Pradesh Congress Committee general secretary Ajay Mahajan, the party leaders submitted a memorandum to President Ram Nath Kovind alleging that the BJP was turning disaster into opportunity to make quick bucks.