Punjab Congress protests price hike

Amritsar/Muktsar/Fatehgarh Sahib, March 31

As part of nationwide agitation against the skyrocketing prices of essential items, Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu, former deputy chief minister OP Soni and others staged a protest at Hall Gate in Amritsar.

Why no increase in wages?

At least 1.2 billion people are facing the heat of inflation and are finding it difficult to make ends meet. Fuel prices have doubled, but have the wages of labourers increased proportionately? — Navjot Sidhu, PCC Ex-President

Sidhu hit out at the Centre and the state government over exorbitant spurt in fuel prices. He said, “Asin haare han, mare nahin.”

“At least 1.2 billion people are facing the heat of inflation and are finding it difficult to make both ends meet. Fuel and LPG prices have doubled, but have the wages of daily labourers increased proportionately?” he asked.

He said Punjab’s right on Chandigarh was defeated by altering the service rules. “Our fight is for the existence of Punjab. This protest is not for the sake of any political motive, but against inflation, poor man’s bread and rights of a common man.”

Slamming the AAP government for taking anti-Punjab decisions related to Rajya Sabha MPs, Sidhu said, “Who among them will follow the ideology of Shaheed Bhagat Singh or Dr BR Ambedkar?”

In Muktsar, district congress committee chief Harcharan Singh Sotha Brar protested against inflation outside the District Administrative Complex (DAC) in Muktsar.

Brar further said the spurt in prices of LPG, petrol and diesel had put an extra burden on everyone.

In Fatehgarh Sahib, a large number of Congress workers led by Subhash Sood, president, District Congress Committee, held a protest in front of the DC office. Sood said the financial condition of

the common man had deteriorated due to daily increase in petrol and diesel prices. He said there’s recession due to the Covid-induced lockdown and the hike in prices had badly affected every citizen. — /OC