Inflation, sealing get Congress to protest

NEW DELHI: Congress organised protests against inflation and sealing at “280 sites” across the capital on Sunday.
DPCC chief Ajay Maken held the BJP-led central government and AAP’s Delhi government responsible for the rising prices. “Due to inflation, the essential commodities have gone beyond the reach of the common people, making their life difficult”, he said.

Addressing the protesters, Maken said that the BJP-led central government had increased the excise duty around 11 times on petrol and diesel, and AAP in Delhi had increased the VAT on these items by 3 times. “These steps resulted in an overall 95% increase in excise and VAT on petrol and 208% increase in excise and VAT on diesel between 2014 and 2018,” he said. Maken added that the Delhi government had failed to curb hoarding of essential commodities, one of the main causes for the rising prices. The DPCC chief participated in many protests, including the ones held at Jagjit Nagar, Usmanpur, Sadar Bazar, Bhagat Singh Chowk, Old Rohtak Road in Chandni Chowk, Gole Market, Sarojini Nagar and Ashram Chowk.

Maken added that the “Modi government had promised to give employment to 2 crore people in a year and Kejriwal promised to give employment to 10 lakh people in a year in Delhi but both failed ”. Maken also explained that in 2013-14, the “rate of crude oil in the international market was 105.52 dollars per barrel and in 2016-17, this rate was slashed to 47.56 dollars per barrel, but the prices are still increasing continuously”. TNN