After failing to kick-off their campaign to connect with the masses scheduled in last week, State Congress has now announced to stage an agitation on Wednesday, to protest against the abnormal hike in the power tariff. Besides, the Party also claimed to stage a massive show in support of demand of cane growers at Basti and Muzaffarnagar, on coming Friday and Saturday respectively.
UP Congress media committee chairman and former UP minister, Satyadeo Tripathi told media persons here on Monday evening that dharna against the power tariff hike would be held at all the district headquarters on coming Wednesday. ``State Congress president, Nirmal Khatri will lead the demonstration at Ambedkharnagar while other senior leaders would participate in other places,’’he said. He alleged that the hike of power tariff was abnormal as at least 11 states of the country have lower power tariff than UP. ‘’The rural people will be most affected in this tariff hike as now they will have to pay even after not getting electricity,’’ he alleged. When asked that why Khatri would not lead the campaign either in state capital or his Parliament constituency Faizabad, and had instead chosen Ambedkarnagar, Tripathi failed to give any convincing answer and said that it was State president’s decision that he will remain in Ambedkarnaagr.
Meanwhile, Tripathi further said that AICC general secretary and in-charge of UP Madhusudan Mistri along with Nirmal Khatri will participate in the demonstration programmes at Basi on October 17 and at Muzaffarnagar on the next day over delay in the payment of cane dues and rise in power tariff in the state. He also registered his strong protest over killing of Party leader, Umesh Pratap Singh in Balrampur on Sunday. He said that Samajwadi Party leaders, Vishnu Chauhan and Uma Nath Chauhan, had executed the killing and they must be arrested at earliest.