Opposition parties AJP, TMC protest price rise

Opposition parties Assam Jatiya Parishad (AJP) and Trinamool Congress on Wednesday staged separate protests in Assam’s largest city Guwahati against price rise and imposition of GST on several new food items. Leaders and members of the two parties raised slogans and displayed banners against the government, demanding roll-back of GST on food items as well as steps to bring out prices of essential commodities, including LPG cylinders. AJP president Lurinjyoti Gogoi, participating in the sit-in demonstration, claimed that prices of essential commodities have increased manifold since the BJP-led governments came to power in the Centre and Assam. He said, ”The BJP had promised of bringing down prices if voted to power. But now that they are on the power seat, they are working for the capitalists and rich section also.” Gogoi demanded the government should immediately withdraw GST from essential food items and ensure that the poor and middle-class sections can afford these items. State Trinamool Congress chief Ripun Bora, who led the party’s protest, alleged that the Narendra Modi-led and Himanta Biswa Sarma-led governments in New Delhi and Dispur respectively are in deep slumber, oblivious of the pain and sufferings of the common public. ”The BJP had promised of ‘aache din’ and look how they are pushing the public into darkness by imposing tax on such items as flour, curd, ‘chira’ (flattened rice), jaggery. We demand that the GST on such items be rolled back immediately,” he said. Bora alleged that Modi and Sarma were looting their own countrymen through these taxes and asserted that the TMC will continue its protests till its demand is fulfilled.

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