Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU/ SRINAGAR, May 24: Pradesh Congress today staged strong protest demonstrations at Jammu and Srinagar cities against the Central Govt over the unprecedented hike in the prices of petrol and diesel in the country and to express concern over the border situation and unabated Pakistan shelling leading to large number of casualty of civilians and jawans.
A large number of Congress leaders and activists including senior functionaries of PCC, DCC and leaders of frontal organizations including Youth Congress, Mahila Congress, INTUC and Congress Seva Dal, held a strong protest demonstration at Shahidi Chowk, Jammu against the BJP Govt at the Centre over the unprecedented hike of petrol and diesel and other commodities of common use.
Led by vice president PCC and former Minister, Raman Bhalla, besides senior leaders Mula Ram, Vikram Malhotra, Yogesh Sawhney, Th Hari Singh, Faqir Nath, Girdhari Lal Chalotra, Krishan Chander Bhagat, BS Sambyal, Ashok Gupta, Hari Singh Chib, Gurdarshan Singh, Shashi Sharma, Krishan Lal Gupta, Thomas Khokhar, Nadeem Niaz, Ch Sukhdev Singh and others, the Congress activists took out a protest demonstration having placards in hands and raising slogans against the Modi led NDA Govt over the issue of unprecedented hike during the past four years causing great hardships to poor people. They also raised slogans against Pakistan for resorting to continued shelling and also against the Centre Govt for its failure to silence the Pakistan guns and ensure the safety and welfare of border residents in the State.
Addressing the protesters, Bhalla said that in the current scenario, there could be a strong case for bringing petrol and diesel under the GST, CARE ratings. “With the sharp recovery of crude oil prices globally and with the increase in the prices of the auto fuels, the inclusion of petrol and diesel under the GST will help in rationalising the prices of these auto fuels,” he said. If petrol and diesel are brought under GST, it will lead to a 10% and 20% reduction in effective tax rates respectively for petrol and diesel, he added.
Bhalla also demanded reduction in excise duties on petroleum products imposed by the Centre and the VAT by State Government. He claimed that there has been an increase of 211.7 per cent in the excise duty on petrol since May 2014, when “ Modi” took over as Prime Minister. The increase in excise duty on diesel is 443.6 per cent since May 2014 till today. “This has happened nowhere in the world, never in the history of India”, Bhalla said.
Meanwhile, Kashmir wing of Pradesh Congress Committee lodged strong protest against the unjustified price hike on petrol and diesel, describing the move as anti-people and wrong policy on the part of Centre Govt and demanded immediate roll back of price hike.
Launching a scathing attacking on Centre for persistent hike on petrol and diesel, Congress leaders and workers led by Abdul Gani Khan held strong protest demonstrations at MA Road Srinagar, raising slogans against the wrong policies and anti-people policies adopted by Centre Govt, saying that the unjustified price hike on petroleum products has added more chaos to people in the entire country.
Earlier District Congress Committee organized a meeting of senior party functionaries, at PCC headquarters, Srinagar, which was presided over by former minister and senior Congress leader Taj Mohi-U-Din. The meeting was organized to discuss the socio-political scenario in the State, besides the price hike especially on petrol and diesel and expressed serious concern over the hardships confronting people.
Taj Mohi-U-Din said that BJP Govt at Centre will remain as the main source behind anguish and agony among the people in the entire country and condemned Prime Minister Narender Modi for his dictatorial attitude. He said the people of Jammu and Kashmir were also the worst hit of anti-people policies of the State Govt and lamented the fact that PDP BJP despite not being on the same page on the issues concerning people, were enjoying power by not caring about the urges and aspirations of the people.
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