Fuel price hike protest: Gujarat Congress chief, 50 workers detained

Gujarat Congress president Amit Chavda and nearly 50 other party workers were detained in Ahmedabad on Monday while they were trying to take out a rally against the ruling BJP at the Centre over the fuel price hike, police said.

They were not given permission for such a gathering, a senior police official said.

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The opposition party also organised similar protests in Rajkot, Vadodara and Surat districts of Gujarat and demanded roll back of the hike.

In Ahmedabad, Chavda and 50 other Congress workers, including MLA Gyasuddin Shaikh, were detained near Sardar Baug area while trying to take out a rally against the increased prices of petrol and diesel.

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Police said the demonstrators were not given permission for such a gathering or for taking out a rally.

"The Congress workers gathered in a busy area without any permission. We have detained nearly 50 protesters, including Chavda and Shaikh, for holding protests and trying to take out a rally without permission," Deputy Commissioner of Police, Zone 2, Dharmendra Sharma said.

Before being detained, Chavda slammed the government over the fuel price hike and denying permission for the protest.

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"This government is not ready to understand the plight of the people, who were first hit by coronavirus and now by the fuel price hike. We will continue to raise the issues concerning citizens, who were literally abandoned by this government. We want the Centre to roll back the hike," Chavda told reporters before his detention.

Congress workers in other parts of the state were also detained for holding protests over the issue, officials said.

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Diesel price scaled a new high on Monday after prices were hiked for the 22nd time in just over three weeks, taking the cumulative increase to Rs 11.14 per litre.

Petrol price was increased by 5 paise per litre and diesel 13 paise a litre across the country, according to a price notification of state oil marketing companies.

While the diesel rates have been hiked for the 22nd time since June 7, petrol price has been raised on 21 occasions.