Congress leaders to spend nights in villages, towns as part of protest against price rise in 'Modi-Raj'

Senior Congress leaders will spend nights in villages and towns during 'padayatras' as part of the two-week long 'Jan Jagran Abhiyan' starting next Sunday against the "breaking of the backbone of people in Modi-Raj'' through price rise.

The party is also modelling the protest programme between November 14 and 29 on the iconic 'Dandi March' when Mahatma Gandhi led the protest against taxing salt by the Britishers and has designed the "women-centric" protest against Modi's policies that has led to severe hardship to people.

Congress will also issue a toll-free number, on which the participants and supporters of the protest can register themselves through a missed call. It expects the participants to become a member of the party through the membership drive launched on November 1.

The agitation programme was finalised by a panel headed by senior leader Digvijaya Singh and approved by the Congress Working Committee on October 16.

Leaders have been asked to participate in 'padayatras at least seven days in the two-week-long agitation.

Congress General Secretary (Organisation) K C Venugopal told a press conference that party workers would reach out to maximum number of people to strengthen the people's voice against the "unprecedented rise" in prices of CNG, cooking gas, diesel, petrol, cooking oil, pulses and other essential commodities.

"Congress leaders and workers will undertake a week-long 'padyatra' with night halts in the villages, towns or cities of their mass contact areas. 'Padyatra' will begin every morning with a 'prabhat bheri' followed by 'shramadaan' (cleanliness drive). There will not be huge public meetings. Instead, the members of these 'padayatras' will hold small group meetings to communicate the nuances of inflation and its adverse effects on everyday lives of the common people," he said.

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After the protest programme on price rise, Singh said, his panel would finalise protests on unemployment, issues of labourers and farmers' problems among others in the future.

He said the Congress on Friday would launch the logo of 'Jan Jagran Abhiyan', which recalls the famous 'Dandi March', as well a pamphlet on price rise, its repercussions and a questionnaire about people’s prevailing predicament.

Asked about the significance of linking the protest with Dandi March, Singh said there was a parallel as Gandhi protested against the tax on salt and similar circumstances prevail in the country at present.

"LPG prices are high, inflation has hit the common people. When Gandhi took up the protest, a lot of people were very apprehensive. Gandhi was sure women would join him and of the 39,000 protesters, there were 19,000 women. The Jan Jagran Abhiyan is an agitation that has an impact on households and women. This protest will be women-centric," he said.

Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said Modi government has proved to be the most "expensive regime" and under Modi-Raj, the "backbone of people have been broken" with farmers suffering, labourers not getting even MNREGA wages, salary cuts and price rise.

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