Congress plans a three-phase campaign called ‘Mehngai-mukt Bharat Abhiyaan’ from March 31

The Congress is all set to kickstart a three-phase campaign called ‘Mehngai-mukt Bharat Abhiyaan’ in protest of soaring fuel prices and the cost of other commodities.

As part of this nationwide campaign, the party plans to organise rallies and protest marches across the country from March 31 to April 7.

In the first phase of the campaign, the Congress will observe March 31 as Gas Cylinder Shaheedi Diwas. In a direct hit to household kitchens, LPG domestic cooking gas prices were increased by Rs 50 per cylinder earlier this month.

Congress general secretary Randeep Surjewala said party workers and common people will garland LPG cylinders, beat drums and ring bells to highlight the issue of inflation and seek to draw the attention of the "deaf BJP government against the insurmountable increase in the prices of cooking gas, petrol and diesel.”

From April 2 to April 4, the Congress will organise sit-in protests and marches at the district and block level across the



country.

On April 7, the party will organise Mehngai-mukt Bharat demonstrations and marches at all state headquarters with the help of social and religious organisations, NGOs and people, Surjewala said.

"The people of India have been betrayed, duped and deceived by the (Narendra) Modi government. After keeping the prices of petrol, diesel, gas cylinders, piped natural gas (PNG) and CNG unchanged for 137 days to secure the votes of people, the last one week has been a nightmare for every household. This has proved the dictum of the Modi government -- 'fleece the people, fill coffers’," he alleged.

State oil companies have raised petrol and diesel prices by 80 paise a litre for the fourth day on Saturday. Petrol in Delhi now costs Rs 98.61 per litre, while diesel costs Rs 89.87. Petrol and diesel prices have gone up by Rs 3.20 a litre in the last week.

Meanwhile, the retail inflation rate in India soared to a high of 6.07 per cent in February 2022 due to elevated oil and commodity prices.