Protest against price rise and petroleum prices hike

Massive NDA rally rattles UPA
Atalji, Advaniji, Rajnathji court arrest
From Our Correspondent

In a bid to expose the Congress claim to be the party for the aam aadmi, on June 12 the NDA staged a massive protest demonstration at Parliament Street in New Delhi against uncontrolled prices and recent increase in the petrol and diesel prices. To lodge their protest, more than 125 MPs, Legislators of the NDA and thousands of workers under the leadership of their senior leaders courted arrest

Former Prime Minister Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee, BJP National President Shri Rajnath Singh, Leader of Opposition (Lok Sabha) Shri L.K. Advani, Leader of Opposition (Rajya Sabha), Shri Jaswant Singh, Janta Dal (U) National President Shri Sharad Yadav, senior Shiv Sena leaders Shri Manohar Joshi, Shri Anant Geethe etc. led the massive demonstration and courted arrest. The enthusiasm of the party workers in the scorching summer heat was worth watching. After declaring all the senior leaders, MPs, Legislators and NDA workers as arrested they were taken to the Parliament Street Police Station where NDA workers continued to raise noisy slogans against UPA Government, Smt. Sonia Gandhi and Shri Manmohan Singh. At the end the Police declared all of them as released.

In the assessment of the BJP and its alliance partners, the steep hike in the prices of petrol and diesel had not gone down well among the people, especially the middle class, who were already reeling under the impact of the rising prices of foodgrains, other essential commodities and the upward climb of the home-loan interest rates.

The latest hike effected by the government in the fuel prices will, the NDA leaders feel, have a cyclical impact on the prices of other essentialcommodities, making life more difficult for the common man, whose earnings have remained more or less stagnant.

The UPA government’s decision to leave it to the States to take a call on the proposal to reduce the sales tax on petrol and diesel so as to cushion the people against the impact of the Centre’s move was also flayed by the NDA leaders, who termed it as “a diversionary ploy” and “a big joke.”

Addressing the massive gathering before courting arrest, Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee said, “A strange phenomenon has emerged with the States being asked to share the burden. We have no objection if States cut taxes on their own. But it would be a joke if the Centre leverages its position to exert pressure on the States to slash their taxes.”

Shri Vajpayee, instead, asked the Manmohan Singh government to reduce the central excise and custom duties to bring down prices of petrol and diesel. “Instead, we’ll force the Centre to reduce its customs and excise duties to bring down fuel costs,” he declared.

The NDA Chairman came down heavily on ruling alliance for its failure to rein in prices, and poked fun at their claims of being the voice of the “aam aadmi.”

“The government is unable to decide how should it check price-rise”, he said. The Congress government is in a state of confusion. The ‘aam aadmi’ is in trouble because of the escalating prices, but the ruling combine has lost its direction,” Shri Vajpayee remarked derisively.

“A Government that is unable to decide its economic policies, how could it check price increase”, Shri Vajpayee asked as a large canvas depicting a price chart of essential commodities comparing the difference during the NDA regime and the present UPA Government stood displayed behind him.

Leader of Opposition, Shri LK Advani described the Congress move to slash sales tax on fuel in States under its control as a “joke”.

“A strange phenomenon has emerged with States being asked to share the burden. We have no objection if States cut taxes on their own. But it would be a joke if the Centre uses its pressure on States to slash their taxes,” the former Deputy Prime Minister said.

“The Congress fought the last General Election on the central issue of working for aam admi. But it backed out on that very issue that it used to come to power, which is evident from the spiralling prices today,” Advani added.

Chiding the Congress President Smt. Sonia Gandhi Shri Advani said, first she approves the increase in the prices of oil and afterwards appeals for decrease in the prices by writing a letter which is not heeded by the Minister of the Government. “These letters are a fraud,” he remarked.

Shri Advani added, the two years rule of UPA rule will be always be remembered as a period of murders, suicide and betrayal of the public.

Former Deputy Prime Minister also ridiculed the Left by saying, “they want to be a party but now want to be called Baraatis. Agar unke paas kapde (clothes) nahi hai to waise hi chal pade. Kya farak padta hai,” he said making the communists a laughing stock of the huge gathering present.

BJP National President Shri Rajnath Singh flayed the Congress for sales tax cuts in party-ruled States and accused the ruling Congress-led UPA of backtracking on its election promises of working for the benefit of the common man.

“Why is the Left not willing to cut sales tax in West Bengal? Why are they protesting price increases even while enjoying the trappings of power?” he asked.

Shri Rajnath Singh demanded that the Central Government should reduce the price of petrol and diesel by decreasing the custom and excise duty. The custom duty should be reduced from 36% to 20%. We were well aware that the Government will increase the prices after the budget and actually it happened. The Left Parties are defrauding the people. They are enjoying power without any responsibility and befooling the people. Until the Government is not removed the NDA will continue its struggle, he added.

Janata Dal (U) President Shri Sharad Yadav said, during two years of Congress rule, the steep price rise has broken the back of the common man. Farmers are committing suicides. They are being paid at the rate of Rs. 700 per quintal for wheat while it is being purchased at the rate of Rs. 950 from Australia. UPA has ruined the farmers. The common man is not able to earn two meals a day. He said the 1974 JP movement against price hike started from Gujarat ultimately led to the downfall of Indira Gandhi Government. Similarly this movement started by NDA will dislodge the UPA Government, he predicted.

The senior Shiv Sena leader and former Speaker, Lok Sabha, Shri Manohar Joshi said the prices of petroleum products are making the people feel the heat and will ultimately destroy the Congress. By awakening the people of India and organizing them, the NDA will be able to make the people say good bye to the anti-people UPA Government.

Prof. Vijay Kumar Malhotra said, for the first time in the history of India, prices of oil have been increased seven times in the two years of Congress rule. The inflation is not being controlled. The stock market brokers swindled away hundreds of crores of the common man by increasing the sensex under a conspiracy. This happened for the first time that the share market had to be closed three times due to losses.

Smt. Sushma Swaraj said the Congress came to power in the 2004 Parliamentary elections with the slogan that the Congress will be with the common man. After two years that common man has become a victim of price spiral and Government atrocities.

Delhi Pradesh BJP President Dr. Harshvardhan said during the six years of NDA rule Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee raised the prestige of India in the whole world. There was no price spiral. Inflation was under control. The common man was happy. After the Congress came to power the prices have become uncontrollable. It needs to be looked into as to why prices increase only whenever Congress comes to power. He expressed surprise that the Finance Minister of India says that the curbing prices is not the responsibility of the Government. Then whose responsibility is this, he asked

Besides others, senior BJP leaders including Shri Jaswant Singh, Prof. Vijay Kumar Malhotra, Smt. Sushma Swaraj, Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu, JD (U) President Shri Sharad Yadav, Shri Digvijay Singh, Shiv Sena leaders Shri Manohar Joshi and Shri Anand Geethe, Dr Harshvardhan, Shri Kailash Joshi, Shri Dharmendra Pradhan, Shri Santosh Gangwar, Shri Raghunath Singh, Shri Digvijay Singh, Shri K.C. Tyagi, Shri Lallan Singh, Shri S.S. Ahluwalia, Smt. Menaka Gandhi, Shri Vijay Goel, Shri Prakash Javdekar, Smt. Anita Arya, Prof. Jagdish Mukhi also courted arrest.