BJP protests over diesel, cooking gas price hike

Delhi state Bharatiya Janata Party on Saturday staged a protest at Jantar Mantar against increase in prices of diesel and cooking gas and allowing Foreign Direct Investment in retail. 

 
During the demonstration, party workers demanded the dismissal of chief minister Sheila Dikshit and burnt an effigy of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

Around 700 BJP workers gathered at Jantar Mantar and were led by M Venkaiah Naidu, Vijay Kumar Malhotra, Vijender Gupta and Vijay Goel.

They also tried to march towards the Prime Minister’s residence and even crossed barricades but after an altercation with police, they were stopped.

Since they were not allowed to march, some supporters carrying placards in their hands lay down on the road outside Parliament police station. Police detained the leaders and the supporters. They were later released.  

During the protest, Venkaiah Naidu said all oil and gas companies are earning profit in thousands of crore of rupees, yet the government has hiked prices of cooking gas and diesel and fuelled a general price spiral.

“The entire trade in India will be ruined if FDI in multi-brand retail is allowed. Trade in this country will come under the control of multinational companies,” Naidu said.

Delhi party president Vijender Gupta said, “People are seriously hurt due to the price rise and corruption of the government. The Congress government is committing atrocities on the common man every day.