The consistent activity of the veteran Congress leader and former Chief Minister Harish Rawat has pushed a slothful Uttarakhand unit of Congress party into action. Rawat heated up the politics of the state when he came to his Dehradun residence last month from Delhi. As per the rules he was asked to remain in 14 days home quarantine by the authorities. The seasoned politician used the quarantine period to connect with his supporters and general public online. He hammered home his views on various subjects like battle with the Covid-19 pandemic, migrants and the economy of the State on Facebook live shows and webinars. His quarantine period ended on March 28 and after that he virtually set the politics of the state on fire by unleashing a campaign against rising prices of petrol, diesel and cooking gas. On March 29, he chose a bullock cart on his way to a temple to give a message against rising prices of fuel. When the administration slapped cases on him and his supporters for violating the Covid-19 regulations, a defiant Rawat challenged the state government that he is ready for a prolonged battle on the issue of price rise and increase in roadways buses fare. Rawat expressed his protest for the government’s action for registering cases on him and other Congress leaders including the Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) President Pritam Singh by undertaking a Dharna in front of Raj Bhawan.
A consistently active Rawat pushed the state unit of the Congress party into action. The faction of Uttarakhand Congress led by PCC president Pritam Singh and Leader of Opposition (LoP), Indira Hridayesh opposed to Rawat became unnerved by the activity of their rival within the party.
The state Congress which hitherto was content in issuing statements and organising an occasional press conference was forced into action. It has now prepared a plan of holding state-wide protests against the increasing prices of petrol and diesel.
As per the plan the Congress would hold protests at petrol pumps on every Monday starting from July 6. In an attempt to escape action for not observing social distancing norms during the protests, the Congress leaders and workers would form small groups of seven people and hold protests at the petrol pumps in all parts of the state. The PCC president would kick-start the state-wide agitation by holding a protest at a petrol pump in Dehradun at 11.30 am on July 6. In the protest, senior leaders of the party including former ministers, MLA, office bearers of state, district and block units have been directed to participate. When asked to comment on the sudden surge in political activity of Harish Rawat, the spokesperson of Uttarakhand government Madan Kaushik said that the activity of Rawat has unnerved the state Congress more than anyone else.
Interestingly Rawat has now declared that on the appeal of Uttarakhand CM Trivendra Singh Rawat he has suspended all his programmes. The CM had asked Rawat not to indulge in politics and help the administration in its anti Covid-19 operations.