Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) on Tuesday held a statewide agitation against Capt Amarinder Singh Government demanding a cut in the Value Added Tax (VAT) on petrol and diesel to bring down the sky-rocketing prices, besides demanding CBI probe in the alleged central ration scam.
During the protest, all the social distancing norms, to be maintained in the wake of COVID-19 outbreak, had gone for a toss. Party workers and leaders were seen sitting closer and standing shoulder to shoulder.
Led by party chief Sukhbir Badal, Akali Dal held a statewide agitation demanding a CBI probe into the central ration scam saying that the “Congressmen who had embezzled ration meant for the poor should be brought to book” Also asking the Congress led Punjab Government to reduced petrol and diesel prices by Rs 10 per liter, Sukhbir said: “Once the Punjab Government reduces fuel prices by Rs 10 per liter, we will ask the Centre also to do the same…I have already written a letter to the Prime Minister Narendra Modi to reduce central excise on petrol and diesel.”
He also demanded that the government should ensure that no student of any private school in the State was victimized solely because his parents were not able to afford the school fee due to reduced income during COVID-19 pandemic. The State should compensate the private schools by submitting six month school fee of students in advance to them. Leading the dharna at Zirakpur, Sukhbir said that lakhs of Punjabis today came out in thousands of villages and ‘addas’ on the SAD’s call of “Punjab Bachao” and displayed their seething anger against the Congress Government and Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh for leaving them in the lurch during a time of pandemic.
“People today hold the Congress government responsible for the hike fuel prices as well as increase of power tariff and other taxes because Congressmen have looted the State treasury through a series of scams be it the Rs 5,600 crore liquor scam, the Rs 4,000 crore seed scam or illegal mining or even the latest insurance scam,” he said.