Cong protests fuel price hike

Nikhila Pant Dhawan

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, May 25 

Members of the District Congress Committee on Friday staged a protest against the Central Government for putting additional burden on the public by increasing fuel prices. 

The protesters burnt an effigy of the Prime Minister and accused the Centre of drafting anti-people policies.

The protest, held near Parasram Chowk, was headed by Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee general secretary Ashok Kumar and secretary Arun Wadhawan. 

Addressing the protesters, the leaders said although the Bharatiya Janata Party managed to come to power by befooling the voters with the promise of ‘achhe din’, the party has been doing contrary to what it promised. 

The protesters said a majority of the promises made by the BJP before coming to power were unfulfilled and the party was answerable to the public for not doing what it promised. 

They added that fuel prices had been continuously rising and if the same trend continued, the public would have to stop using private modes of conveyance and depend fully on the public transport, which was also in poor condition due to lack of funds. 

The protesters said apart from denting the budget of every household, the hike in fuel prices was adversely affecting the business of those earning their livelihood by driving auto-rickshaws, cabs and trucks. 

They demanded that the Central Government should rise above party line and think for the benefit of the common man. 

Raising slogans against the Prime Minister and the Central Government, they demanded a rollback in the fuel prices. 

They said voters had now given up on the BJP and would show their might in the Lok Sabha elections in 2019.