Indian Opposition Party Congress Announces Protest Campaign Over Rising Inflation From 31 March

In India's fight against inflation, the Congress Party has announced a three-phased nationwide protest campaign against the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government over rising petrol and diesel prices.

The campaign titled "Mehngai-Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan" (Inflation-Free India Campaign) will kickstart on 31 March and will last until 7 April. Protesters, party politicians, and volunteers are expected to take to the streets across India and beat drums and bells to draw the government's attention to the issue.

"On 31st March at 11 a.m., people will protest outside their (BJP politicians') homes and public places with garlanded cooking gas cylinders and beat of drum-bells, other instruments to draw the attention of the deaf BJP government against the insurmountable increase in prices of gas, petrol, and diesel", Congress General Secretary and Chief Ppokesperson Randeep Surjewala said.

With Saturday's increase, petrol in Delhi will now cost INR 98.61 ($1.29) per litre, while diesel rates have gone up to INR 89.87 ($1.18). In Mumbai, petrol and diesel prices are INR 113.35 ($1.49) and INR 97.55 ($1.28) per litre, respectively.

In Kolkata, petrol and diesel cost INR 108.01 ($1.42) and INR 93.10 ($1.22), while prices in Chennai were INR 103.68 ($1.36) and INR 93.73 ($1.23) on Saturday.

Randeep hit out at the PM Narendra Modi-led government and said, "The people of India have been betrayed, duped, and deceived by the Modi government",

"Every day, increases in the prices of petrol and diesel as the also cumbersome increase in prices of LPG, PNG and CNG, has proved the dictum for the Modi government, which is to fleece the people, fill the coffers", Surjewala said.

Between 2 and 4 April, protesters will hold marches and sit-in demonstrations outside BJP politicians' offices at every district level and will culminate with similar protests in state capitals.

Former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi took a dig at the BJP government sworn-in in Uttar Pradesh and said, "The king prepares for a palace, while subjects reel under inflation".

Meanwhile, federal Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and federal Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari linked the surge in prices to the Russian special operation in Ukraine to demilitarise and de-Nazify the country, which Moscow started on 24 February. The launch of operation followed appeals for help made by authorities of the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics that had been under shelling by Ukrainian forces.

Sitharaman on Friday said: "Fuel prices are surging because of supply chain disruptions due to the Russia-Ukraine war. Oil marketing companies are procuring crude oil on a 15-day average rate, which is higher because of the Russia-Ukraine war. The impact of that is on all the countries".