Delhi Cong workers, IYC activists ride horse, bullock carts to protest against fuel price hike

Delhi Congress workers and activists of the party's youth wing IYC rode horse and bullock carts on Monday to protest against the hike in petrol and diesel prices in the country.

Delhi Congress workers and activists of the party's youth wing IYC rode horse and bullock carts on Monday to protest against the hike in petrol and diesel prices in the country. Delhi Congress president Anil Kumar, who staged a protest at a petrol pump near Parmanand hospital in Civil Lines, was first detained alonwith party workers and later arrested by the police, as they tried to move to Raj Niwas to hand over a memorandum to Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal.

Kumar and his party leaders rode horse carts while heading towards Raj Niwas. A case was registered against Kumar and other party leaders and workers for staging the protest. A case was registered under IPC section 188 (Disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) and National Disaster Management Act at Civil Lines police station. All the protesters, who were arrested, were later released on personal bond, said a senior police officer Diesel price on Monday scaled a new high after prices were hiked for the 22nd time in just over three weeks, taking the cumulative increase to Rs 11.14 per litre.

Petrol price was increased by 5 paise per litre and diesel 13 paise a litre across the country, according to a price notification of state oil marketing companies. In Delhi, a litre of petrol now comes for Rs 80.43 per litre as compared to Rs 80.38 earlier. Diesel rates have been increased to Rs 80.53 per litre from Rs Rs 80.40. Meanwhile, the Delhi Congress said Delhi Police is acting in a "partisan manner" as it always takes action against the its party leaders while the BJP workers are let off when they hold demonstrations.

"People are already suffering from coronavirus and consequences of lockdown. At such a time, unprecedented rise in prices of petrol and diesel by Modi government and Kejriwal government in Delhi, is adding to their woes," Kumar said during the protest. Protests were held at petrol pumps across the city by Delhi Congress leaders and workers.

The Delhi Congress leaders arrested the protest include vice-presidents Jaikishan, Shivani Chopra and Abhishek Dutt, and others. Kumar said the hike in the prices resulted in diesel becoming costlier than petrol in Delhi for the first time ever, and demanded roll back in excise duty by the central government and VAT by the Delhi government.  The activists of the party's youth wing IYC, including its president Srinivas BV, also rode bullock carts near Shastri Bhawan to protest against the fuel price hike. Raising slogans against the price hike, the protestors led by Srinivas marched from Raisina Road headquarters of the outfit to nearby Shastri Bhawan where they were stopped by the police.

"When Congress-led UPA was in power, relief was given to people even though international crude oil prices were soaring while Modi government has been raising petrol and diesel prices causing problems to the people already facing hardships due to the pandemic," Srinivas said..

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)