Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, July 13: Pradesh Youth Congress (J&K) today staged protest against incessant fuel price hike across the country, seeking immediate rollback on the prices.
Led by Uday Bhanu Chib, president J&K PYC, the Youth Congress activists assembled near Press Club today and raised slogans against anti-masses BJP Government.
Talking to reporters later, Uday Chib said that petrol and diesel prices directly affect the common people but the Centre has not formulated any policy to deal with the economic slowdown and they passed on the burden to the masses.
Chib said, “Due to the Coronavirus crisis, demand for fuel has fallen all over the world. Despite having full stock of fuel, the Government has burdened the common people by increasing fuel prices continuously for the last 20 days.”
Such a steep hike has not been affected in 70 years, he said, terming it is “unprecedented”. “The poor and the middle-class have been severely hit by the recent hikes. Such a situation has not been seen in any other country. All the countries are helping its people during the coronavirus crisis. The Centre has hammered the people when the country is facing economic slowdown. No Government has hit its people so hard before,” Chib added.
PYC leader said that as the common masses are reeling due to COVID-19 outbreak, the BJP Government was turning disaster into opportunity to make quick bucks. The Government has burdened the people by increasing the Excise duty on petrol and diesel, he added.
Chib said that political parties, social organizations and common masses throughout the country criticized the Central Government and raised their voices over the continuous hike in petroleum products but all in vain. Instead of rollback, the prices of petroleum products, the prices of petrol and diesel has been increasing incessantly, he said.
“The increase in fuel prices will result in rise in prices of essential commodities adversely affecting the lives of people. The Centre should immediately cut fuel prices and extend benefits of low oil prices in international market to common masses,” Chib emphasized.
Senior PYC members Ajaz Choudhary, Ricky Dalotra, Sahil Langeh, Nimrandeep Singh, Ranjeet Chopra, Avijot Singh, Vishal Chopra, Ranjoot Singh, Ashwani Choudhary, Anuksh Raina, Barinder Singh, Deviyansh Jamwal , Nakul Sharma and others also joined.