Congress protests in Haryana against fuel price hike

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, June 29

The Congress on Monday held statewide protests against fuel price hike, with large assemblies at Sirsa, Rohtak, Faridabad, Yamunanagar and Karnal.

In the last three months, the Modi government has raised the prices of petrol and diesel by 22 times. The price of diesel has gone up by Rs 11 a litre and that of petrol by Rs 9.12 a litre.

Haryana Pradesh Congress Committee president Kumari Selja rode a bullock cart in Karnal to register her protest. Accompanied by Assandh MLA Shamsher Singh Gogi, she handed over a memorandum to Karnal DC Nishant Kumar Yadav for President Ram Nath Kovind, demanding immediate withdrawal of the increased prices.

All sections of society hit by Covid: Deepender

Every section of society has been hit hard by the Covid pandemic, while the Centre is raising the prices of essential commodities instead of providing them with relief. The prices of oil in the international market have dropped drastically, but the Modi government and oil companies are profiteering. —Deepender Hooda, Rajya Sabha member

“The poor, workers, shopkeepers, middle-class families, farmers, small and medium businessmen and a large number of unemployed people are struggling for their livelihood in times of economic recession, but the government is simply not bothered,” she said.

Selja said when the BJP came to power in May 2014, excise duty on petrol was only Rs 9.20 per litre and on diesel Rs 3.46 per litre. In the course of six years, the BJP increased excise duty to Rs 23.78 per litre on petrol and Rs 28.37 per litre on diesel.

At Rohtak, Jhajjar and Sonepat, Rajya Sabha member Deepender Singh Hooda led the march. Legislators Surender Pawar, Jaiveer Singh Valmiki, Geeta Bhukkal, Raghuvir Singh Kadian and Kuldeep Vatsa participated.

Deepender said the increase in oil prices was against the interests of the common man in general and farmers in particular during the peak season of paddy plantation.

“Every section of society has been hit hard by the Covid pandemic, while the Centre is raising the prices of essential commodities instead of providing them with relief. The prices of oil in the international market have dropped drastically, but the Modi government and oil companies are profiteering,” Deepender said.

He added it was for the first time that diesel prices were more than that of petrol’s.

In Kaithal, Congress workers led by former Union Minister Jai Parkash (JP) sat on a dharna outside the Mini-secretariat and later submitted a memorandum to the district administration.

At Faridabad, NIT MLA Neeraj Sharma and former legislators Lalit Nagar, Anand Kaushik and Raghbir Singh Tewatia staged a sit-in at the Mini-secretariat.

Congress leader Ashok Arora led the march in Kurukshetra.

Disclose details of Chinese funding: Selja to PM

State Congress president Kumari Selja accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of taking funding from Chinese companies. “Ever since he became the Prime Minister, Modi went to China five times. During this period, China intruded into India. He should disclose the funding from Chinese companies into the PM Relief Fund, which has been kept outside the preview of the RTI Act,” she added.