Cong protests fuel price hike, inflation

The Congress on Friday held demonstrations across Rajasthan against rising fuel prices and inflation, which the opposition BJP termed a drama.

The state-level demonstration was held outside a petrol pump near Civil Lines in Jaipur, which was participated by state party president Govind Sigh Dotasra. Former deputy CM Sachin Pilot staged a dharna outside a petrol pump in Sanganer area.

“The Modi government has been ruling the country for seven years but it has forgotten the real issues and people are suffering due to rising inflation and unemployment,” Dotasra said. “Petrol prices have crossed ₹100 while the rate of an LPG cylinder has gone beyond ₹800. Modi government has failed on all fronts, be it corona management or controlling inflation.”

In a tweet, he alleged that the Centre is looting the public through “Modi tax” on petrol and diesel.

At the dharna in Sanganer, Pilot said, “Economic slowdown, inflation and unemployment have hit the country hard during the corona pandemic. People lost jobs and labourers are not getting wages. It is sad that lakhs of people died, dead bodies were seen flowing in rivers and every family struggled with coronavirus; in such a situation, the government is not taking any step to control inflation and fuel prices.”

On the government’s recent announcement to give Covid-19 jabs free to those above 18 years, he said Prime Minister Narendra Modi had to change the vaccination policy under pressure from the Congress.

The BJP called the protest a drama and demanded that the state government reduce valueadded tax (VAT) on petrol.

Leader of opposition Gulabchand Kataria said, “Rajasthan Congress is doing drama on petrol and inflation, but the highest VAT on petrol and diesel in the country is in Rajasthan.”