Chhattisgarh Cong slams Centre over inflation, Agnipath; holds protests across state

The ruling Congress in Chhattisgarh on Friday staged protests across the state against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Central government over the issues of inflation, unemployment, Agnipath scheme and imposition of the Goods and Services Tax on essential commodities.

In capital Raipur, the protest was held at Ambedkar Chowk where Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, state Congress president Mohan Markam and other senior leaders were present.

Talking to reporters at the protest site, CM Baghel said people were severely distressed due to rise in prices of essential commodities and asked the Centre to take immediate steps to provide relief.

The Congress has been fighting for the rights of common people, including youth, women and farmers, while the BJP government at the Centre was battling Congress leaders, he claimed.

Slamming the NDA government, Markam said inflation in the country had reached record levels and people were bearing the brunt of it.

The Centre's move to impose the Goods and Services Tax (GST) on essential items like pre-packaged cereals, flour, honey, curd etc have added to the misery of citizens, he said.

Accusing the Narendra Modi government of failing to create jobs, Markam said, ''The controversial, poorly-conceived and hastily-crafted Agnipath scheme, which carries many risks, has not only destroyed the long-standing traditions and ethos of the armed forces, but has also crushed the aspirations of lakhs of unemployed youth.'' Later, protesters led by Markam reached the Raj Bhavan and handed over a memorandum addressed to the governor, asking him to appeal to the Centre to rein in inflation, party state spokesperson Dhananjay Singh Thakur said.

Similar protests were held by the party at district and block levels as well, he said.