Congress legislators protest in Guwahati on Thursday against fuel price hike. Picture by UB Photos

Guwahati: The Congress legislators of Assam protested in front of the Assembly on Thursday against rising fuel prices.

Led by leader of the Opposition Debabrata Saikia, the legislators marched from Dispur Last Gate, raising slogans against Prime Minister Narendra Modi for failing to curb price rise, and staged a noisy protest at the main entrance to the Assembly.

Saikia said when international crude oil prices are on the decline, prices of petrol and diesel are skyrocketing in the country because of the Centre’s wrong policies.

He accused the NDA government of “betraying” the people by not keeping the promises made by the BJP ahead of the 2014 general elections. He demanded immediate steps to bring down the prices of petroleum products.

“We want to remind the BJP of the promises it had made to the people before the elections,” he said.

The MLAs shouted slogans like “Modi hatao, desh ba-chao”, “Modi sarkar hai hai” and “Sarbananda Sonowal sarkar hai hai”. They said the poor and middle class people had to bear the brunt of rising prices of fuels and cooking gas, which are at an “all-time” high. Controlling prices was a key poll plank of the BJP in the 2014 elections and the 2016 Assembly polls in the state.

Chaygaon MLA Rekibuddin Ahmed said before elections Modi had told the people to make him the chowkidar (watchman) of the country but now the same chowkidar is caning people with the lathi of price rise.

“People are fed up with him and getting ready to bid him goodbye,” he said.

Congress Legislature Party deputy leader Rakibul Hussain said the people’s money was not even safe in banks under the present government as penalties were being imposed on customers for failing to maintain minimum balance in their accounts.

News Source Telegraph India by PANKAJ SARMA