Former Deputy CM Chander Mohan with Panchkula Congress members at Bishnio Bhawan in Panchkula on Monday. (Express Photo by Jaipal Singh) The PANCHKULA Congress under the leadership of former deputy chief minister Chander Mohan held a meeting and took out a rally against the steep hike in fuel prices as well as three Central agriculture laws.
Chander Mohan termed the farmers’ protest a people’s movement. “These black laws are not limited to farmers but would have direct consequences for ordinary citizens as well. Similar to the steep rise of petrol and diesel rates, if these laws are enacted, even basic food items will go out of our reach,” he said.
“It is a fact that the Central government has raised the prices of petrol continuously. This government has become insensitive towards the poor. The government is bent on eradicating the poor, not poverty. It was during the Congress regime that while the price of crude oil stood at Rs 110 per barrel in the international market, the petrol was priced at Rs 47 per litre in Delhi. Now the crude oil price in international market stands at less than Rs 40 per barrel while the BJP has made petrol prices touch Rs 100,” he added.
Petrol rates have crossed Rs 90 in Mohali and Rs 88 in Panchkula. Similar rallies and meetings of the Congress were held across Haryana on the call of Congress leader Kumari Selja.
The Panchkula Congress also declared to continue their protest across sectors in the city.
Talking about the farm laws, he said, “Haryana government is making desperate efforts to suppress the voice of farmers opposing the three agricultural laws by the Central government. Our farmers and unemployed youth, as well as those working in the unorganised sector, have been forced to resort to strikes and protest to oppose the anti-people policies of the Central government to save their existence.”
“I want to ask the government whether the farmers of this country have the right to go to Delhi to awaken the deaf government — to protect their rights democratically,” the former deputy CM said.
Declaring that the decision of the coalition government to stop the farmers from marching to Delhi “will prove to be the last nail in his shroud (sic) in the coming time”, he said that “if it is a crime to ask for a reasonable price for my crop, then I am also guilty of this. Because as a farmer, the Constitution has given me the right to sell my crop at a reasonable price. No law can forcefully be imposed on anyone.”
Advocating for the farmers, he said that keeping in mind the sentiments of the farmers, the Central government should abandon the obstinate attitude and immediately withdraw the three agricultural laws.