Protest march taken out in Hubballi

Anger over soaring prices of essential commodities

Expressing anger over soaring prices of essential commodities, State Youth Congress president Mohammed Haris Nalapad has termed the BJP-led Governments at both the Centre and the State as “pick-pocket governments” that were “pick-pocketing the commoners through price rise”.

Addressing a gathering during a rally against price rise in Hubballi on Sunday, Mr. Nalapad said that the Union Government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi is telling lies and consequently, prices of petrol, diesel, domestic LPG cylinders and essential commodities are skyrocketing by the day. People should join hands with the Congress in defeating such a “government that is telling lies”, he said.

Referring to how there was no big change in fuel prices during the recent Assembly elections in five States, he said that it showed how the Union Government is cheating the common people. Soon after the elections were over, prices started rising and now, they have gone up even higher. “It is time that such a ‘robbing and pick-pocketing’ government is taught a lesson,” he said.

Accusing the BJP of trying to divide society in the name of religion, he said that people of the State and the country should think about why this party (BJP) is instigating people on communal issues. “We are all one. But the BJP, which follows communal politics, does not want communal harmony. It only indulges in hate politics,” he said, asking the crowd whether the Prime Minister [Narendra Modi] has spoken anything on price rise after coming to power.

Referring to the ransacking of a stall of a Muslim vendor at Nuggikeri near Dharwad on Friday, he said that his party strongly condemns such acts. The vendor should not be treated as a Muslim but as a Kannadiga and an Indian, who is also one among us. But the BJP, to cover up its failures, is indulging in hate politics, he said.

National president of the Indian Youth Congress B.V. Srinivas said that the BJP is enacting a drama across the country. If the BJP is really concerned about the country, it should stop creating communal tension by involving its fringe groups, he said and added that the BJP is trying to create unrest in the State to divert the attention of the people away from price rise.

Earlier, Mr. Nalapad, Mr. Srinivas and others paid tributes to B.R. Ambedkar with a garland that was lifted up by a crane. As part of the protest, Congress workers paid “tributes” to LPG cylinders, empty oil vessels and “price rise” in effigies.