To protest the hike in power tariff and the steep hike in penalties under the amended Motor Vehicles Act, Congress workers and leaders would start a four-day campaign from Friday.
The party has put up posters at all important places in Lucknow and in other districts, targeting the Union government for causing much inconvenience to the common man, especially by making provision for exorbitant hikes in penalties in the Motor Vehicles Act.
After being prompted by Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra to become sensitive and proactive on people-related issues, Congress Legislature Party leader Ajay Kumar ‘Lallu’ convened a meeting in Lucknow on Thursday, in which it was decided that party leaders and workers would take out a ‘lalten’ (lantern) procession in major markets of all districts on Friday to protest against the hike power tariff.
UPCC spokesman Brijendra Kumar Singh said that on the remaining three days of the protest, party workers would visit every block of the state and carry out a signature campaign to pressurise the Yogi Adityanath government to roll back the power tariff hike.
Addressing leaders and workers, Lallu said that on one hand the country was going through economic recession and people were losing jobs and on the other, both the Narendra Modi and Yogi Adityanath governments were putting extra burden on the common man by affecting steep hikes in petroleum and power prices.
“It is a perfect example of how both governments are trying to loot the public by increasing prices of essential goods and services,” Lallu said.
Meanwhile, Congress workers on Thursday staged a protest and put up posters against the increased penalties in MV Act.
Lallu alleged that the people were distressed by the burden of 10-fold hike in penalties. “Inflation has broken the back of people and now penalties under the new MV Act have further hit the public. It should be immediately withdrawn,” Lallu said.
The Congress leader cited how unemployment had gripped the youths in the Modi rule and the prices of vegetables and grocery items had gone through the roof.