A resolve had been made in the Vidhan Sabha in the past to hold the next budget session of the Assembly at Gairsain. By holding this session in Dehradun instead of Gairsain, the State Government has disrespected the people of Uttarakhand and the sentiment behind Gairsain. Former Chief Minister Harish Rawat said this while staging a protest at a police barricading near the Vidhan Sabha on Thursday. The former Chief Minister was also accompanied by the Uttarakhand Pradesh Congress Committee president Pritam Singh and other party leaders and workers at the protest.
The protesting Congress members rallied from Dharmpur towards the Vidhan Sabha and were stopped by the police at the barricading near Rispana bridge. Accompanied by the PCC president, MlAs and former MlAs among others, the former Chief Minister sat on protest on the road with his supporters. lambasting the State Government for not holding the assembly session at Gairsain, the PCC president said that this had dishonoured public sentiment. He also criticised the State Government on various issues including the scam in widening National Highway 74.
Speaking at the protest, former CM Harish Rawat said that the decision to hold the budget session in Gairsain had been taken as a resolution by the Assembly. By dishonouring it, the BJP Government had insulted the public and sentiment connected to Gairsain. He said that the previous Congress-led state government had been providing cheap wheat and rice to APl card holders but the BJP Government has reduced the quota while increasing the rates by Rs 15. There has been a sharp rise in the price of electricity, water, gas and other essential commodities, he added. Rawat said that with the permission of the party, he would also go to Gairsain to meet the locals regarding their concerns. He also requested the PCC president that a movement should be started against the rise in prices of wheat and rice.
He also said that MlAs should undertake a protest fast on Friday against the farmer deaths in Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra. Referring to the death of farmers during protests in Madhya Pradesh, Rawat accused the BJP government there of “murdering farmers”. He said that he will pray for the departed souls on Friday at Har ki Paidi in Haridwar.