Congress stages protests across UP over rising fuel, LPG prices

Lucknow, Jul 12 (PTI) Congress workers staged demonstrations across Uttar Pradesh on Monday to protest the rising prices of petrol, diesel and cooking gas.

The party's state unit chief, Ajay Kumar Lallu, said people have been hit hard by the continuously rising prices of petrol and diesel, but it is falling on deaf ears of the government.

"To protest against this insensitivity of the government, party workers staged demonstrations throughout the state," he added.

Lallu said Congress workers took out tonga yatras and bullock carts to register their protest at all district headquarters of the party.

The hike in fuel prices in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic is increasing the difficulties being faced by the common man, he said.

At one such protest in Mathura, Congress workers carrying empty LPG cylinders reached the district magistrate's office on horse-drawn carts and handed over a memorandum demanding a control on the rising prices.

Led by the party's district president, Bhagwan Singh Verma, the protesters raised slogans against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.

In Ghaziabad, Congress workers marched with three bullock carts loaded with motorcycles as part of their protest against the rising fuel prices.

Led by veteran party leader and former minister Satish Sharma, hundreds of Congress workers took part in the rally on GT road with placards and banners in hand, and raised slogans against the BJP-led governments at the Centre and the state.

The rally was intercepted by police near the Ramlila ground, following which women workers of the party staged a sit-in led by Pooja Chadha, state vice-president of the Congress's social outreach wing.

The Congress workers were stopped outside the Kotwali police station and were not allowed to hand over a memorandum to the district administration. PTI NAV Corr IJT IJT