Meghalaya Youth Congress protest against fuel price hike

AMPATI: The South West Garo Hills (SWGH) unit of the Meghalaya Pradesh Youth Congress (MPYC) on Friday, held a protest in Ampati town, against the BJP-led government's alleged anti-farmer laws and the continued fuel price hike.

Vice president of MPYC, Stevie Marak chaired the event, in the presence of Salmanpara MLA, Winnerson D Sangma, Darkhan Sangma district coordinator, joint secretary Malangkot Sangma and other senior leaders and members.

“The present Indian government has been slowly and systematically introducing laws for oppressing the people and suppressing dissent since 2014. And recently they passed three anti-farmers’ laws which will be detrimental to the farmers of the nation. In order to protest these laws, farmers from all over India have been protesting in their own villages and also in the borders of the national capital for the last two months braving the chilling winter cold,” said Salmanpara MLA, Winnerson D Sangma.

The Congress leader added that the party has taken on the BJP and were protesting to lend their support to the farmer’s movement.

“We also protest the alarming rise in fuel prices that is becoming a burden on the common man. The hike in fuel prices has been instrumental in the rise in costs of essential commodities “, added Sangma.

MPYC president, Richard Marak, while speaking on the occasion, stated that it was only the Congress party that stood for the common man.

They (BJP) are governing with ill intentions to benefit only their rich corporate friends while the rest of us become slaves. We stand in protest here today to show support to the farmers. The government should listen to the voice of the farmers and repeal the three laws immediately,” said Richard.

The Congress leaders further pointed to the fact that during the Congress led UPA government, the cost of fuel was still manageable at Rs 71.

(Edited by Christopher Gatphoh)