Cong to protest week-long protest in Gujarat against Centre's failure to control price rise

Ahmedabad: The Congress party is all set to launch a week-long protest across Gujarat against Centre's failure to rein in the rise in prices of essential commodities.

Under the week-long protest, the members of the women wing of the party will organise sit-in demonstrations in main fruit and vegetable markets in different cities, towns and villages, senior Congress leaders said.

Simultaneously, the members of the Congress' students wing, NSUI will hold programmes on university campuses and colleges against the "rising fees in educational institutions and increasing privatisation".

During the protest, members of the women wing and city unit Congress will hold programmes at edible oil markets while activists of Youth Congress will set "effigies of inflation" afire.

Congress will also distribute hand bills across petrol pumps stating that "Centre is keeping the price of petrol and diesel higher despite the fall in prices of global crude oil".

Youth Congress will burn electricity bills in different cities to protest against "rising" power bills.

On the last day of the protest on June 30, the leaders will travel on bullock carts and other non-fuel vehicles as a symbolic protest against the rise in prices of fuel.

"Excise duty on petrol is 84 per cent and VAT on petrol in Gujarat is among the highest in the country. If Gujarat government is concerned about problems faced by people due to rise in prices of essential items, it should reduce VAT and Excise duty on petrol," said the Leader of Opposition in state Assembly, Shankersinh Vaghela.

He said the government has failed to maintain the demand-supply ratio because of hoarders who have caused an "artificial" rise in price of essential items.