Driving Naari Programme launched in Chandigarh
Chandigarh, May 28: Taking on the BJP-led central government over the acute hike in prices of petrol and diesel, Punjab Congress president Sunil Jakhar on Monday announced that the party would come out on the roads as part of the nationwide protest to be launched by Rahul Gandhi on May 31.
Addressing a press conference here, Jakhar said the central government was earning Rs. 10-12 lakh crores annually by not passing on the benefit of decreasing global petroleum prices, for which Prime Minister Narendra Modi was personally answerable to the public. He challenged the prime minister to explain where the money thus saved by his government was going,
Jakhar, who was accompanied by Punjab Cooperation Minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa and Food & Supplies Minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu, recalled the Bharat Bandh and Jail Bharo protests organized by the BJP across the nation on 31 May, 2012, against the petrol/diesel price hike, pointing out that top BJP leaders including now Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Sushma Swaraj, Rajnath Singh, Arun Jaitley, Nitin Gadkari, Smriti Irani, and Ravi Shankar Prasad had raised a lot of hue and cry over the issue then.
Increase in price of diesel and petrol was adversely affecting everyone – from the farmers to the industry, students, teachers and the common man, as prices of essential commodities were spiralling out of control, said Jakhar.
Citing the prices of petrol and diesel during the UPA rule, Jakhar said that on May 31, 2012, the international price of Crude Oil was 104.09$ per barrel while diesel and petrol in India was being sold at Rs. 40.91and Rs. 73.18 per litre. On May 25, 2018, the rate of crude oil had fallen sharply to 67.50 $ per barrel but diesel and petrol were being sold at Rs. 69.09 and Rs. 78.12 which clearly showed that despite the fall in crude oil prices, Central Government had increased the price exorbitantly, said the PPCC president and Gurdaspur MP.
Blaming the Modi Government for favouring the big corporates and industrialists, Jakhar said that while the Congress Government led by Dr. Manmohan Singh ji had worked tirelessly for the welfare of citizens, the present dispensation was busy filling the coffers of the big business houses. The Central Excise duty has been increased from 22 to 42% while the state revenue share had decreased by 10%, he further pointed out.
Criticising the indifferent attitude of the Central leadership towards Punjab, Sunil Jakhar said that despite no help from the Centre, the Captain Amarinder Singh led Congress government was doing everything it could to pull the be beleaguered peasantry out of the vicious trap by waiving off their farm loans.
Pointing to the fiscal debt inherited by the Punjab government due to the fiscal mismanagement of the SAD-BJP combine, Jakhar said the Centre should assist the state in tiding over the crisis on the principle of cooperative federalism. Punjab would do anything to bring relief to its people, he added.
On the issue of the MSP to be announced for the ensuing paddy season, Sunil Jakhar warned the central government against making any announcement without taking into account the increase in petroleum prices. Farmers must be supported by providing them a bonus of more than Rs. 100 per quintal, he stressed, pointing out that the farmers had been additionally burdened by Rs. 1300 to Rs. 1500 Crores annually due to the steep hike in petroleum prices.
Lashing out at SAD, which had failed to do anything for the people of Punjab despite being an ally at the Centre, Jakhar challenged them to resign from their Central ministerial berth in protest against the GST on Langar.
Jakhar expressed the confidence that the Congress would win by more than 2/3 majority in the Shahkot bypoll, and the SAD candidate would find it difficult to save his election deposit, he added.
On the issue of Leader of Opposition Sukhpal Singh Khaira being warned for trespass after his alleged attempt to enter some sugar mills, Sunil Jakhar said nobody could be allowed to take law into their hands.
On being asked to comment on the issue of some MLAs meeting Rahul Gandhi and airing their concerns, Sunil Jakhar said now that they had met the party president the matter should end here.
Earlier, a video clip of top BJP leaders speaking about the petrol hike in May, 2012 was played before the media, where top BJP functionaries could be heard asking the then PM to roll back the petrol and diesel price hike.
