To support the Bharath Bandh against the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre for increasing the petrol and diesel prices and its failure to provide LPG connections to BPL cardholders, members of Janavadi Mahila Sanghatane (JMS) held a unique demonstration by preparing food using firewood at one of the busiest intersections in Kalaburagi city on Monday.
K. Neela, president of the State unit of Sanghatane, explained the health consequences of cooking on stoves using this inefficient and polluting fuel. The activist accused the BJP government of failing to provide LPG cylinders to BPL cardholders. Majority of India’s rural households still depend on firewood as cooking fuel. The burden of this unfortunate statistic falls squarely on the shoulders of women, Ms.Neela said.
She alleged that the RSS has become an “extra-constitutional” authority and makes political decisions for the BJP government. “This clearly shows RSS is not merely the remote control but is in direct control of this BJP government which acts as the RSS’ political arm.” Ms. Neela claimed that the government is run from Nagpur, the headquarters of the RSS, and RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat is the ‘ideological father’ of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Mr. Modi displayed arrogance of power by increasing the prices of petrol and diesel again on Monday, Ms. Neela added.
Activist R.K. Hudgi termed the Modi government as “anti-farmer” and “pro-industrialist” and accused the Prime Minister of introducing the Land Acquisition Ordinance in order to pay back industrialists who helped him to “win the 2014 Lok Sabha election.”
The major beneficiaries of the largesse included big corporate entities like Reliance Industries and Adani Power, he alleged. The BJP government does not deserves a second innings in power, Prof. Hudgi said and appealed to the people not to vote for it in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.