City Correspondent
GUWAHATI, Feb 20: The Assam Pradesh Congress Committee is launching a massive agitation against rising fuel prices, across the State from tomorrow.
The top Congress leadership said that the party is holding the protests to ensure that the voice of the common man is heard.
“The party has planned a series of protests against the hike in prices of petrol, diesel, LPG, vegetables, pulses and other items of daily use. The party has taken upon itself to be the voice of the people and we will hold protests at every nook and corner of the State every day. All district and block committees of the party have been directed to hold the protests and educate people about the atrocious taxation by the government,” said Ripun Bora, president of the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee.
Bora asserted that the Congress will act as the people’s voice when the common man is being “looted” by the BJP government in the garb of tax and fuel surcharges.
“The Congress party during its ‘Asom Basao Ahok' Yatra understood the pain and agony of people as they had to go through tough times because of the cruel price-rise and apathy of the incumbent regime. Rise in prices of daily commodities has hit the common-people hard, affecting their daily lives,” said Bora urging the people to be part of the protests.
“The BJP government is favouring its corporate friends and the private companies while the common man is being penalised,” said the APCC president.
“This cruel regime has earned Rs 20 lakh crore in six years by increasing fuel prices. The base price of petrol is Rs 33.46 per litre and that of diesel is Rs 31.82 per litre. However, the common man is forced to pay Rs 87 per litre for petrol and Rs 82 per litre for diesel in Assam,” Bora said.
The top Assam Congress leadership including Congress Legislature Party Leader in the outgoing Assembly Debabrata Saikia, Congress Campaign Committee Chairman Pradyut Bordoloi, Manifesto Committee Chairman Gaurav Gogoi, All India Mahila Congress chief Sushmita Dev will be leading the protests at different locations enroute of the ‘Asom Basao Ahok' yatras being undertaken by them to connect with the people of the State.
