Amid the rising fuel prices second largest and grand old party congress resorted to agitation in many states like Karnataka, Odisha, Goa, and Puducherry after organizing a protest for the same in the central state of Hindi heartland Madhya Pradesh. The workers have demanded that the central government should curb the fuel price hikes.
Congress activists in Odisha stage stir before petrol pumps demanding roll back of hike in oil prices
The activists of the Congress today held demonstrations and dharnas in front of all petrol pumps across Odisha demanding the roll back of the hike in prices of petrol,diesel and cooking gas.
The congress activists led by senior party leaders held the demonstration from 7AM to 11 AM in response to a call given by the AICC.In capital city Bhubaneswar, the demonstration was held in front of petrol pumps at Unit -2,market building, Ram Mandir, Kalpana, Vanivihar, Rasulgarh, Nacharam, Samantarapur, Ravi
talkies, ChandraSekharpur, Patia, Aigania, Kalinga stadium and at CRP.
Senior Congress leader Suresh Kumar Routray, District Congress President Biswajit Das and around ten party block presidents participated in the agitation.
The demonstration was also held in front of petrol pumps in all the districts of the state, Party sources here said.
Odisha Pradesh Congress President Niranjan Patnaik described the hike in oil prices while the people were suffering a lot due to the second wave of corona as very unfortunate.
The Congress leaders said in certain areas the prices of petrol per litre has crossed Rs 100 mark. It has pained the people as the rise in oil prices has also skyrocketed the prices of essential commodities and household articles.
They said during the last 13 months petrol price per litre has increased by Rs 25.72 paise and the diesel price by Rs 23.93and the oil price has increased 43 times during last five months.
Goa Congress holds protest, demands reduction in fuel prices
Leader of Opposition Digambar Kamat on Friday alleged that the consistent fuel price hike despite the international oil prices coming down was clear indication of loot from people’s hard earned money by the BJP governments.
Protesting against the rising fuel prices with South Goa District Congress Committee at Mohiddin Petrol Pump here, he said,''BJP Government came to power in Goa in 2012 by promising to cap the Petrol prices at Rs 60 per litre. They promised “Acche Din” to the people of the Country after coming to power at the Centre in 2014. Unfortunately, both the State as well as the Centre has not kept up with their promises.''
''It is most unfortunate that the insensitive BJP Government is continuously putting additional burden on the people by increasing the fuel prices when people are passing through bad times due to Covid pandemic. We demand that the BJP Government must immediately roll back the fuel prices,'' he said.
Stating that government was not ready to give financial package to the Marginalised Sector which had suffered the most due to nationwide lockdown and curfews imposed to control Covid Pandemic, he said it was sad that the BJP Government was putting additional burden on small occupationists like Motorcycle Pilots, Khajekar, Chanekar, Fulkar, Mechanics, Render, Poder and others.
Goa Pradesh Youth Congress Committee held protest at Kurade Petrol Pump and Margao Block Congress Committee at Virginkar Petrol Pump.
Former Minister Alex Sequeira, South Goa District Congress President Joe Dias, GPCC Secretary Nitin Prabhudessai, SGDCC Members Deepak Kharangate, Avita Naik, Royla Fernandes, Goa Youth Congress General Secretary Archit Naik and Deepak Pai, South Goa District Youth Congress President Ubed Khan, Margao Block Congress President Gopal Naik, were also present during the protests.
Vice- Chairperson of Margao Municipal Council Dipali Sawal, Councillors Lata Pednekar, Damodar Varak, Siddhant Gadekar, Sagun Naik, former Councillor Avinash Shirodkar and Manoj Masurkar were also present and participated in the protests.
''Today, each and every household budget has collapsed due to misplaced priorities of the BJP Government. The rising LPG Cylinder prices has affected every housewife and working women. We demand that BJP Government must hear the plight of the women,'' said MMC Vice-Chairperson Dipali Sawal, while speaking at the protests.
''The irresponsible BJP Government has completely failed in providing help to the people when the entire economy has collapsed. They have no action plan to help the needy and on the contrary are burdening the common man,'' said GPCC Secretary Nitin Prabhudessai.
Congress workers had gathered in large numbers at all the three venues in Margao and participated in the protests. Similar protests were organized in various Constituencies all across the State.
Karnataka Cong launch agitation against petrol price rise
Expressing concern over petrol price touching Rs 100 per litre in Karnataka, the Congress today launched a five-day agitation in the State in protest against steep hike in the fuel prices.A large number of leaders and party workers sat on dharna at Shivananda circle and aired the slogan '100 not out' on petrol prices. Some of the leaders were wearing pads and bats stating 100 not out.
Addressing the agitators, Opposition leader in the Legislative Assembly and former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah alleged that due to increase in the petrol prices the rates of essential commodities also went up adding to woes of common people who are reeling under Corona pandemic.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s 'Achi din ayega' when it will come and where it is, he questioned.The BJP government both at the centre and state has failed to control the situation of the covid-19 second wave in which hundreds of people lost their lives due to various reasons including shortage of oxygen, no beds and ICUs in the hospitals.
“The BJP government at the Centre and in the state have betrayed the common man by increasing the retail price of petrol and diesel almost on every other day,” said Siddaramaiah.Speaking on the occasion KPCC State President D K Shivakumar alleged that the Centre has increased petrol prices as many as 42 times in a month.
“Hundreds of our party leaders, lawmakers and cadres was stage protests at about 5,000 petrol stations in cities and towns across the state from Friday against the soaring fuel prices,”
He said that the 5-day protest will be held under the “100 not out campaign” in all 30 districts of the state.In Bengaluru, senior leaders, including former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Shivakumar, Ramalinga Reddy , Dineshgundu Rao and others took part.
State-run oil marketing firms have cumulatively increased retail price of petrol by Rs 25.72 per litre and diesel by Rs 23.93 per litre over the weeks amid the pandemic’s second wave across the country.
A Mangaluru report said The District Congress Committee staged a protest against fuel price hike in front of the Petrol bunk at KPT here on June 11, Friday by beating Jagate. The protest was named "100 not out".
Addressing the protestors, senior party leader B Ramanatha Rai said the erstwhile Congress government had ensured that the petrol price did not cross Rs 70 per liter even when the price per barrel was 140 dollars. But now the present government has been continuously increasing the prices despite the price of oil per barrel being very less.
Former MLC Ivan D’Souza, who also spoke, asked "Where are the BJP leaders who used to protest when the fuel price was hiked by even Re 1 per litre in the past?,’’ he questioned.
Congress Organise agitation to protest against petrol price hike
The Puducherry Pradesh Congress Committee on Friday held demonstrations at 30 centers here to condemn the price rise of petrol and Diesel.
Former chief minister V Narayanasamy,Lok Sabha member V Vaithilingam and PCC president A V Subramnian participated in the demonstration held in front of a petrol bunk near the Anna square here.
The participants shouted slogans against the union government and demanded the immediate rollback of petrol and Diesel price.(UNI)
