Port Blair, Sept 10: The Pradesh Congress Party consequent to the AICC call for Bharat Bandh on 10.09.2018 against fuel price hike, staged massive Dharna in front of ANIIDCO Petrol Pump at Goalghar from 9AM to 12PM supported by DMK party and CPI (M). Dharna, Bundh & Public meeting was also organized at different places all over the islands.
The Dharna was addressed by Mr. A.R. Marudhavanan, Chief Organizer, DMK party, Mr. K.G. Das, Sr. Leader, CPI (M), Mr. Kuldeep Rai Sharma, PCC President , and other leaders present at the occasion.
Mr. Kuldeep Rai Sharma, PCC President while addressing the protester said that, since advent of current BJP led NDA Government at Centre, the prices of petrol, diesel and cooking gas are skyrocketing whereas the government remains undaunted, unaffected and silent. Compelled by such attitude of the central government, this nationwide protest is launched by the Congress party to make the Modi led NDA Government realise the worry of poor and common people of India who are forcefully and purposefully subjected to abnormally ever increasing cost of Petrol and Diesel.
Launching attack on BJP led NDA government for high prices, Mr. Kuldeep said that, when crude oil prices were rising in the International market during the UPA regime, taxes were reduced to take the burden off the people, whereas the present government despite having low cost of crude oil in the international market when compared to UPA regime, preferred to tax the people by increasing the excise duty on petrol by 211% and that on diesel by 443% since May 2014 and amassed profit of Rs. 11, 00,000 Crores. He further said that Mr.Modi and its government boast of implementing ‘One Nation One Tax’ policy, then why Diesel and petrol are not brought within the ambit of GST? He said by doing so the cost of petrol and diesel will get reduced at least by Rupees10 to 15 per liter giving some sigh of relief to the common man in this economically strained nation.
Mr. Kuldeep said that unprecedented increase in price of petrol is a cause of worry for common man buying petrol as it add on to the household expense thereby making him financially feebler and worried. However, terming the price rise of diesel very critical, Mr. Kuldeep said that the transportation of goods in India is primarily done by Trucks which run on diesel and increase in cost of diesel increases the cost of operation of Trucks which in turn are passed on to all consumer by increasing the cost of material transported and for these reasons we find increase in cost of every commodity be it vegetables, rice, edibles, cement, steel, construction materials etc. Mr. Kuldeep said that, in the agriculture sector too, the farmers are badly hit by increase of price of Diesel as the same has increased the cost of production of agriculture produce since most of machineries used in agriculture are operated by diesel but in turn the farmers are not able to get even the amount invested by selling of the produce and it is for these reasons the farmer’s suicide is on rise.
Mr. Kuldeep referring to every day devaluation of Indian Rupee in the International market said that when UPA government headed by Prime Minister Mr. Manmohan Singh demitted power during May 2014, one US dollar was around Rs.57.00 and now it reached all-time low devaluated value of Rs.72.00 clearly signifying the economy of the country is not in good shape and those who were making fun of the economic wisdom and capability of Mr. Manmohan Singh need to be questioned by the nation. Steep devaluation of Rupee is making import more expensive, hence the cost of products which requires more imported items are increasing.
Mr. Kuldeep concluded by saying that, it is the outcome of anti-poor, anti-farmer and pro –rich policy adopted by the Modi led NDA which has made the life of every common Indian citizen miserable and brought “ACCHE DIN” to few corporate family in India. The PCC President appealed to the Islanders to strengthen the hand of Congress and lend support in opposing highhandedness of Mr. Modi and its government in dealing such vital issue of unprecedented increase in price of petrol, diesel & cooking gas and all such issue which adversely affect the life of common citizens of the Island Territory and Nation as whole. Other senior Congress leaders spoke on the occasion are Smti Shanta Singh, Mr. P.K. Haldar, Mr. G. Bhaskar, Mr. Noor Islam, Mr. Tamil Selvam, Miss. Mariyam Bibi, Smti Zubaida Begum, Smti Malti Mondal, Mr. Gyan Prakash Krishna, Mr. AR Manickam, Mr. Subir Chander, & Smti Saraswati Narayan.
Mr. K.G. Das of CPI (M) party in his address stressed the need joining hands to fight against the anti poor and anti people policies of NDA Government and also to wipe out the BJP during the next parliamentary election. He said that the NDA government came into power promising employment to the youths of India, however, due to wrong economic policy of the government several small & Medium industries has closed down which has further escalated unemployment.
Mr. A.R. Marudhavanan, State Chief Organizer, DMK party and party’s other senior leaders such as Mr. Senthil, Mr. Kannan Senior leader, DMK, Mr. Ravichandran, State Organizer, State DMK Youth Wing in their speech highlighted the difficulties being faced by the common people due abnormal hike of Petrol, Diesel and cooking gas. The speakers have also emphasized the need for organizing such joint protests against the anti-poor, anti- farmer policies of Mr. Modi led NDA Government.
