Khammam : Novel protest by Congress leader Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka over fuel price hike

Khammam : CLP leader Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka came down heavily on the BJP government here on Monday, criticising that the Central government failed in implementing its poll promises. Failure to control hike of prices of fuel and essential commodities by the Modi government was the best example, he added.

He led a protest rally on bullock carts against the hike of petrol and diesel prices. Along with district party leaders, he staged a protest at main centres in the town and raised anti-BJP government slogans. Bhatti said fuel prices were increased for several times during Covid-19, burdening people, who were already suffering with corona pandemic.

Later speaking with the media, Bhatti said diesel prices have been scaling new peaks for every few days ever since the BJP came to power at the Centre. The price hike impacting the lives of common man seriously as it led to increase in prices of essential commodities also, he added.

Vikramarka demanded Prime Minister Narendra Modi to include petroleum products in the GST regime to keep prices under control while adding that since the Modi government came to power, there was more than 50% increase in the prices of all essential commodities.

'Even as crude oil prices at international market were down, prices of petrol and diesel were not coming down in the country. If the price hike continues at the current phase, public would have to move on bicycles and bullock carts, he lamented.

District Congress president P Durgaprasad, ex-MLC P Nageswar Rao, TPCC official spokesperson M Srinivas Reddy, party activists and leaders from Madhira, Khammam, Wyra and Palair Assembly segments took part in the protest.