CHANDIGARH: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) staged district-wide protests across the state on Monday against hike in fuel prices. A statement issued from the party headquarters stated that the protests were staged in all the districts across the state against the rising fuel prices.
The demonstrations were led by the district in-charges and a large number of district leaders and volunteers participated in the protests. The Aam Aadmi Party said that the rising fuel prices were affecting everyone's daily lives. The AAP said that Punjab was one of the states with the highest fuel prices among the northern states.
“Compared to the northern states, petrol is Rs 4.1 more expensive in Punjab and diesel is Rs 3.1 more expensive. Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh is sitting in his royal farmhouse, but no attention is paid to the problems of the people, ” the statement reads. The AAP said that Captain Amarinder was looting the state's wealth by giving a free hand to the mafia and by filling his and his cronies’ coffers, was now trying to compensate by charging people extra taxes on basic necessities like fuel, which was pushing the fuel prices further. The AAP stated that the increase in the prices of fuel will not only affect the common man but it will also affect the already burdened farmers as it would increase their cost of production.
The AAP said that today the people of Punjab were being hit from both sides. On the one hand, the Modi government at the centre was resorting to all sorts of atrocities to crush the farmers’ movement. On the other hand, the Chief Minister of an agriculture-oriented state, Captain Amarinder Singh, instead of holding the hands of the farmers, was making the people miserable by imposing additional taxes on fuel. “Rising fuel prices will also push up the prices of daily necessities, which will further hit the poor. The Chief Minister of Punjab is busy enjoying his lavishes in his farmhouse and seems to have no care for the masses, ” said the AAP.
The AAP said that Captain Amarinder had proved yet again that the welfare of the people was not his top priority. Fighting this, the Aam Aadmi Party, Punjab cadre protested in all the districts across the state. AAP district in-charges, who led the protest, said that the AAP had always been raising the issues of the people and will continue to fight for their rights. They said that after the AAP will come to power in 2022, every problem of the people would be solved on priority basis. They said that implementing Delhi's Arvind Kejriwal model in Punjab would improve the lives of the people, provide relief from inflation and price rise and put a stop to the mafia rule.