Jail Bharo: Hundreds of BJP members court arrest in DK, Udupi districts

Flaying the economic policies of the Centre and urging control over price hike of essential commodities, BJP members courted arrest as a part of their ‘Jail Bharo’ programme at Pumpwell circle in Mangalore on Friday.

Addressing the protesters, Deputy Speaker N Yogish Bhat said that, the union government has applied highest tax on petrol compared to any other country in the world.

“The government is collecting Rs 1,50,000 crores of income by petroleum products. Still people have to wait for 25 to 30 days to get a LPG cylinder. The prices of food grains are also increased,” he flayed.

‘Leadership problem’

MLC Ganesh Karnik opined that the nation is in trouble because of the wrong economic policies of union government for the past 8 years. “Though the wages have been increased in the last these years, it is of little help as the prices of daily commodities have been increased considerably.

Petrol price hike too has affected all,” he said and added that the central government is facing leadership problem.  
The protesters blocked all four roads at Pumpwell circle (from B C Road, Talapadi, Kankanadi and Udupi) during the protest.  More than 100 activists courted arrest. They were released later.

In Udupi

Udupi district BJP unit members staged a protest as a part of ‘jail bharo’ campaign against the price hike of petroleum products and other essential commodities before taluk office on Friday.

The party members who gathered to protest prepared coffee using wood fired flame. They arranged for traditional three stone set up stove in the midst of the road and kept the LGP cylinder upside down symbolically indicating the brunt of the price rise of petroleum products.

They shouted slogans against Congress led UPA government. Speaking on the occasion, District BJP President Uday Kumar Shetty alleged that UPA government has utterly failed to control the inflation.

In contrast, BJP led NDA government was always concerned about the problems encountered by common man. The economic policies pursued by NDA government worked for the betterment of the downtrodden class. He said NDA government always tried not to burden the lay man by increasing the price of essential commodities.

In 2004, when NDA government was in power, the price of petrol was Rs 22.64 and now it is 79.80.

In May 2011, the price per barrel of petrol was $ 106 in the international market and the petrol price in India was Rs 58 per litre. Although the present international market price per barrel petrol remains the same, UPA government is continuously hiking the price of petrol.

Besides, there is major differences in the prices of essential commodities when NDA was in power and now. Price of rice per kilogram was Rs 10 then and now it is increased to Rs 35 to Rs 40.

BJP strongly opposes the move of UPA government. People of the country should join their hands in protesting against UPA government and its economic policies, he added.

Senior BJP leader Sheila Shetty accused the policies introduced by UPA government is totally anti agriculture and anti people.  After coming to power UPA has hiked the price of petrol for nearly 13 times.

She said according to a survey conducted by renowned media publication house, more than 60 per cent of the people in the country prefer alternative government set up in the centre. Sarcastically the person who heads the government lacks the knowledge over the integrity of the post he holds, she ridiculed.

The agitation ended when BJP members courted arrest. They were released a few minutes later.