AASU takes to street with massive stir against price hike, burns effigies in Lakhimpur

CORRESPONDENTS

LAKHIMPUR: The Lakhimpur district body of All Assam Students' Union (AASU) on Friday took to the streets across the district with massive protest programmes against sky-rocketing prices of petroleum, diesel, LPG, food items and other essential commodities.

The organization burnt the effigies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal and State Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Minister Phani Bhusan Choudhury alleging their comprehensive failure in controlling the price hike which has made common people suffer.

Prior to it, the activists of the organization took out a protest rally in North Lakhimpur town maintaining social distancing. While taking out the rally, hundreds of protesters staged a unique and symbolic protest against fuel price hike by pushing their bikes and carrying the LPG cylinders on the streets of North Lakhimpur town. The protesters showed their vehement resentment against the price hike of food items and other essential commodities by wearing garlands made of onions, potato and various kinds of vegetables. They rocked the environment by shouting various slogans against the BJP-led governments at the Centre and in the State and demanded that the price hike should be checked. Lakhimpur AASU initiated these protest programmes as the part of the State-wide stir against price hike declared by the central committee of AASU.

Leading the stir, Lakhimpur AASU president Pulok Jyoti Borah, general secretary Dhanmoni Dutta and adviser Sanjib Konwar slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan for their unmoved attitude towards controlling the fuel and LPG price hike.

The leaders of organization criticized and condemned the Chief Minister and State Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Minister, alleging that they had not initiated any steps to control the growing prices of food items and other essential commodities in the State at a time when the adverse situation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and ongoing lockdown was affecting the common people. The leaders and activists of North Lakhimpur, Telahi-Kamalaboria, Kadam, Harmoti and Laluk regional committees of Lakhimpur AASU were present in the protest programmes.

On the other hand, the Dhakuakhana regional committee of AASU rocked Dhakuakhana town by organizing similar protest against the same issue. The activists of the Dhakuakhana AASU also took out similar rally. When the rally marched towards Dhakuakhana town shouting slogans against the BJP government, the officer-in-charge of the Dhakuakhana Police Station, Dibendra Brahma prevented the rally from going forward. It led to confrontation among AASU activists and the police personnel. As a result of it, two executive magistrates had to arrive at the spot in order to control the situation from further deterioration.

GOLAGHAT: The activists of All Assam Students' Union (AASU) Golaghat district unit staged a dharna near the Deputy Commissioner's office on Friday against the skyrocketing prices of petrol, diesel, LPG and essential commodities. They burnt the effigy of Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

AASU central committee chief organizing secretary Raju Phukan slammed the BJP government and said that at a time when common people were facing financial hardship due to the lockdown, the BJP government hiked prices of petrol, diesel and essential commodities. The organization said that if the State Government did not take any fruitful initiative to control price hike of petrol, diesel and LPG, Golaghat AASU would have to intensify stir against the government.

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