THOUSANDS OF DELHI #CONGRESS WORKERS HOLD “THALI-PEET” DEMONSTRATION OUTSIDE KEJRIWAL’S RESIDENCE TO PROTEST AGAINST PRICE RISE OF ESSENTIAL COMMODITIES

 

 

 

 

 

 

—CONGRESS DEMANDS IMMEDIATE CONDUCT OF BYE-ELECTIONS TO 13 VACANT  MCD WARDS

—CONGRESS WILL CONTINUE ITS PROTESTS TILL PEOPLE GET JUSTICE: AJAY MAKEN.

 NEW DELHI, August 30—Thousands of Congress workers, led by Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee president Shri Ajay Maken, today held a “Thali-Peet” demonstration outside the residence of Delhi Chief Minister  Arvind Kejriwal at Civil Lines to protest against the soaring prices of essential commodities, including onion and pulses, and seeking bye-elections to 13 vacant MCD wards.

Addressing over 10,000 Congress workers, Shri Ajay Maken said the “Thali-Peet” demonstration   was  held today to  awaken Shri Arvind Kejriwal from his deep slumber as the  Aam Aadmi Party leader seems to be oblivious to the  price arise all around him, as the prices of essential commodities have shot over the roof, making the life of the  people unbearable. He said onions were selling at prices ranging from  Rs 80 to 100, and the AAP Government has not done anything to check  the price rise, nor taken action against hoarders and speculators.

Besides Shri Ajay Maken, prominent others who participated in the “Thali-Peet” demonstration were ex-MPs Shri Sajjan Kumar, Mahabal Mishra, Ramesh Kumar, former Delhi Ministers Haroon Yusuf, Kiran Walia, Dr Narendra Nath,  DPCC chief spokesperson Smt. Sharmistha Mukherjee, ex-MLAs Malaram Gangwal, Anil Bhardwaj, Hari Shankar Gupta, Bisham Sharma, Tarwinder Singh Marwah, Veer Singh Dhingan, Devendra Yadav, Jaswant Rana, Dayanant Chandela, Vijay Singh Lochav, Prahalad Singh Sahni, Kunwar Karan Singh, Nand Kishore, Bhram Yadav, Chattar Singh, Jagjivan Sharma, Advocate Sunil Kumar, Opposition leaders in the MCD Mukesh Goel, Farhad Suri and Varyam Kaur, Municipal Councillor Ajit Yadav, Delhi Sevadal Chief Organiser Dineshwar Tyagi and Tasvir Solanki.

Shri Ajay Maken recalled  that during his first term in the Government,  Kejriwal had claimed that  he had contained corruption, and that was why prices had come down in Delhi. But Shri Maken said it can now be assumed that corruption has gone up in Delhi as the prices have soared sky high to break all records. He said the Kejriwal Government has neither taken action against hoarders, nor has it bothered to supply essential commodities to people at affordable prices. He said other reasons for the price rise was that the Kejriwal Government had increased VAT (Value Added Tax) on essential commodities,  and also put entry tax on goods vehicles coming from outside the Capital.

Shri Ajay Maken said the Congress Government had ruled Delhi for 15 years, and whenever the prices of  a particular essential commodity went up, the Government took special measures to make such commodities available to the people at reasonable prices. Besides, he said, the Congress Government also conducted periodic raids to check hoarding and give relief to the people. Shri Maken said it was the stubborn attitude of  Kejriwal that has resulted  in the present price rise crisis, as he had refused to buy onions offered by NAFED at Rs 19 per kg. He said had the Delhi Government bought onions from NAFED, the prices of the commodity would not have soared  sky-high.

Shri Ajay Maken said a comparative study of the prices of vegetable and pulses in 2014 and 2015 shows how the prices have gone up sharply in 2015 after the AAP Government came to power.

COMPARATIVE RATE OF VEGETABLE AND PULSES

MAY 2014- AUG. 2015

VEGETABLE	2014 (Rate in Rupees  per KG)	2015 (Rate in Rupees  per KG)	Margin increase (In Rs. Per kg.)
BHINDI	10-15	30	15
BRINJAL	5-9	40	30
TOMATO	3-6	40	30 (around)
PHOOL GOBI	50	80	30
KHEERA	6-9	20	11
TINDA/TORI	10-16	25/30	15
GREEN CHILLI	7-10	40	30
MUTTER	14-25	60	35
AALOO	15	20	5
ONION	35	80	45
SHIMLA MIRCH	40	60	20
GHIA	15	30	15

 

PULSES	2014 (Rate in Rupees  per KG)	2015 (Rate in Rupees  per KG)	Margin increase (In Rs. Per kg.)
Moong Dhuli	95.00	100	5
Moong Sabut	80.00	90	10
Masoor Sabut	60.00	80	20
Masoor Dhuli	65.00	100	35
Urad Sabut	64.00	120	56
Arhar Dal	63.00	150	87
Kala Chana (Desi)	35.00	70	35
Chana Dal	34.00	70	36
Kabuli Chana	45.00	100	55
Rajma	79.00	100	21

Shri Ajay Maken said it was an irony that the Kejriwal Government, which talks of eradicating corruption, has witnessed the sad spectacle of three of  its MLAs, including its Law Minister, going to jail on corruption charges. But Kejriwal has not taken any action against the three accused MLAs, which clearly shows the Kejriwal Government’s attitude towards corruption.  He said the truth was that Kejriwal was not interested in checking corruption in Delhi, and that was the reason he was neither bringing  a Lok Pal, nor appointing a Lokayukta. Shri Maken said the Kejriwal Government had resigned in its first stint after 49 days in power, alleging that the AAP was not allowed to pass the Lokpal Bill in the Delhi Assembly, but Kejriwal now realizes that if a Lok Pal or a Lokayukta is appointed in Delhi, then action would have to be taken against Kejriwal himself, and 29 of his MLAs accused of corruption, against whom the Delhi Congress has already filed a complaint with the Delhi Lokayukta Office.

Shri Ajay Maken said the Modi Government at the Centre and the Kejriwal Government in Delhi were responsible for the plight of the people, as Modiji has no time to spare from his foreign jaunts to address the problems of his own people, and whenever he comes to India, people only see him in costly suits. Shri Maken said Kejriwal was on a Kumbakaran-type of  deep sleep, leaving little time for him to address the price rise and ameliorate the woes of the people. He said Kejirwal finds time only for self publicity and spreading lies to mislead the people, as he has earmarked Rs 526 crore of hard-earned  money of the tax payers for publicity.

Shri Ajay Maken said he had written a letter to Kejriwal on August 28, 2015 demanding that elections be held in the 13 vacant MCD seats without any further delay. Quoting a letter written by the Delhi Election Commission to the Delhi Government on February 25, 2015 demanding that Rs 21 crore  be made available to it to hold these elections, so that the election process could be started by March, and conclude the elections by the third week of April,  the Delhi Government was ye to respond. Shri Ajay Maken wanted to know from Kejriwal why the Delhi Government was stalling the bye-elections to the 13 MCD seats, when the Delhi Election Commission had begun the process of conducting the elections. Shri Maken said Kejriwal was interested only in raking up some pointless  issues to grab headlines at the cost of the stalled development works in Delhi.

Shri Ajay Maken said Kejriwal was not holding bye-elections to the 13 MCD wards due to his failure to fulfill the promises made to the people, fearing that the AAP will be inflicted a crushing defeat by the people, unhappy with his failed policies and promises.

Shri Maken said the Congress workers will fan out in all these 13 MCD wards to hold “Thali-Peet” demonstrations to  protest against the failures of the AAP Government, corruption and price rise, and demanding immediate conduct of the bye-elections to the 13 vacant MCD wards. He said the Congress party’s fight  will continue on the streets, till justice is meted out to the people.