The Punjab Congress on Monday held a protest against the Centre over the “rising” prices of essential commodities. The ruling party had announced ‘’gherao’’ of the Punjab Raj Bhavan to protest against the “rising” prices of fuel and cooking gas.
However, the agitators led by Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee president Sunil Jakhar, state ministers, MPs and MLAs were not allowed by the Chandigarh police to go towards the residence of Punjab Governor V P Singh Badnore.The protestors were to start their protest march from the Punjab MLA Hostel here but a heavy police force and a water cannon vehicle was deployed outside. Addressing the protesters, Jakhar slammed the Modi regime, accusing it of “deliberately” letting the prices of essential commodities spiral. “The BJP has shamelessly exposed itself in its utter failure to govern the country on each front,” he alleged.The rise in prices of diesel and petrol had a “deleterious cascading” impact that broke the back of those marginalised and poor households, which are finding it difficult to make their ends meet, Jakhar said, questioning the rationale behind this price hike.Training his guns on both the SAD and the AAP for their “negative politics”, Jakhar said both these outfits now only exist as “BJP spokespersons”. Questioning their “deafening silence” over rise in prices, Jakhar said both Akalis and AAP have “lost” the trust of people of Punjab forever.