Bihar: RJD Holds Massive Protest Against Price Rise

Patna: Thousands of Rashtriya Janata Dal leaders, workers and supporters took to streets across Bihar on Monday (July 19) to protest against price rise. They shouted slogans against the failure of the Bharatiya Janata Party-led central government in controlling the soaring prices that have badly the people. This was the second consecutive day of the RJD’s protest against inflation.

In Patna, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, who is also the leader of Opposition, joined a protest march on the streets against the unprecedented price rise. Targetting Prime Minister Narendra Modi for rising inflation, Tejashwi said, “People across the country have been crying under the burden of price rise of essential commodities but the government has been behaving differently.”

He went on to add that even though the sky high prices of commodities are hitting all including the middle class, the brunt is being borne by the lower middle class and the poorest of the poor, including those living below the poverty line. He also expressed his serious concern over the effect of soaring inflation on those who have been rendered jobless during the COVID-19 pandemic and people hit by A drastic decline of GDP.

“Amid sky high prices of petrol, diesel followed by edible oil, vegetables and all other items, the government should focus on controlling the soaring inflation. But instead it is doing politics in the name of population control. The ruling BJP has even started preparing for next year’s Assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh. We will intensify the protest against price rise in the coming days,” he said, as he addressed a protest gathering along with several senior RJD leaders.

Earlier on Sunday night, Tejashwi addressed party workers and supporters and urged them to organise a massive protest against price rise and mobilise people for it. He also appealed to the common people to join the protest as they have been affected by inflation.

He had also said that inflation has broken the backbone of common people, forcing them to die of hunger. He lashed at the BJP government and its leaders for keeping silent amid the sky rocketing prices and their failure to control despite repeated claims.

As per reports, RJD workers took out protest marches at all the 38 district headquarters in Bihar, including Patna. Ignoring the scorching heat and high humidity, they came out in huge numbers to protest. With green party flags, posters and banners in their hands, party leaders and workers took part in protest processions on bullock carts, bicycles and also hand carts. Some carried empty LPG cylinders on their heads to send a strong message about their rising prices. The protesters also raised slogans against the central government and the state government demanding remedial measures to check the rising prices.

RJD spokesperson Ejaz Ahmad said that the party has successfully staged protests at all the district headquarters and common people, who are unhappy with price rise, participated in large numbers in the protest on July 19.

On Sunday, the first day of RJD’s Halla Bol protest, the party’s workers staged a protest against price rise at all block headquarters across the state. They burnt effigies of PM Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. At several places, RJD’s workers also staged dharna and protest meetings at the block level.

The protest against price rise was called by RJD chief Lalu Prasad, who is still under treatment in Delhi. Lalu Yadave directed the party leaders and workers last week to reach out to people by taking the issue of price rise that is giving sleepless nights to them.

He also gave a new slogan to deal with the price rise during the NDA rule with his tweet, “NDA hatao, mahangai ghatao (Remove NDA, Reduce price rise)”. This was spread by the RJD workers from villages to towns in the state during the protest against price rise.