Raipur (Chhattisgarh) [India], July 24 (ANI): The Congress party is set to stage a gherao of the Assembly on Wednesday to protest against the alleged deteriorating law and order in the state and various other issues amidst the ongoing monsoon session of the Assembly.
Thousands of Congress workers from across the state, along with all the senior leaders of the party, are expected to participate in the demonstration.
Speaking to ANI on Wednesday, Chhattisgarh Congress Incharge, Sachin Pilot, said, “The state Congress committee has announced to gherao the Chhattisgarh Vidhan Sabha today. Congress workers and the general public from the entire state will stage the gherao of the Assembly today.”
“It is one thing not to fulfil the promises made at the time of elections but the way the government is being run every day here, the crimes are touching heights and the law and order situation has been deteriorating in the state. The government is not focused on governing. They are only focused on targeting the opposition and harassing the people of the Congress party,” said Sachin Pilot.
Adding further, he said, “Yesterday the Union Budget was presented, and it is true that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi termed it a ‘Sarkar Bachao Budget,” he said.
“We have no qualms with the people of Andhra Pradesh or Bihar, but in the way the budget came, Chhattisgarh has 11 seats in the Lok Sabha here and the BJP has the majority, but what did this state get in the budget? That cannot be found even if you search for it,” said Pilot.
He further said that there are no chances of inflation coming down, even with this year’s budget.
“The NDA only does ‘bayanbaazi’. Their ministers, chief ministers and party leaders only make statements. The public assurances they gave the public for a majority, regarding inflation, employment, law and order, and governance–all of these do not seem to be getting fulfilled anywhere in the near future,” he said.
“It is our responsibility and a right as a constructive opposition in the democracy to stage demonstrations, rallies and protests for our rights. The Vidhan Sabha Gherao today will include leaders from all states and we will all unite to raise the voice of the people,” Pilot stated.
“This is not a Congress event, we are gathering to raise the voice of the people as the main opposition party and open the eyes of the central government towards the demands of the people,” he said.
The traffic police have issued parking locations and route charts for the Congress workers coming from different parts of the state to participate in the protest.
Meanwhile, the opposition INDIA bloc MPs held a protest in the Parliament complex on Wednesday, against the Union Budget, presented on Tuesday by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.
“Opposition virodhi kursi bachao Budget murda baad” slogans were raised by the INDIA bloc leaders as they protested holding placards in the Parliament building, claiming that the Budget is “discriminatory” in nature.
Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, Congress MP Sonia Gandhi, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, party General Secretary KC Venugopal, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, TMC MP Dola Sen were seen participating in the protest.
“This is a deceitful budget, and it is an injustice,” Congress chief Kharge said, speaking to reporters during the protest.
On whether he will be participating in the general discussion of the budget, Kharge said, “We will protest and then we will see.
“Earlier on Tuesday, the INDIA bloc’s Floor Leaders (Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha) held a meeting at Congress national president Mallikarjun Kharge’s residence.
The leader of the opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, criticised the Union Budget 2024-25 on Tuesday, accusing the Finance Minister of making hollow promises.
Taking to social media platform ‘X,’ he tweeted, “Kursi Bachao Budget. Appease Allies: Hollow promises to them at the cost of other states. Appease Cronies: Benefits to AA with no relief for the common Indian. Copy and paste: Congress manifesto and previous budgets.”
Mallikarjun Kharge also took to ‘X,’ tweeting, “Modi Government’s ‘copycat budget’ could not even copy Congress’ justice agenda properly! The Modi government’s budget is distributing half-hearted ‘rewadis’ to dupe its coalition partners so that the NDA survives. This is not a budget for the ‘progress of the country,’ it is a ‘save Modi government’ budget!”
Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said on Tuesday that the Narendra Modi government has failed to conduct the census, and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s budget speech on Tuesday did not mention funds for the decadal population census, which was supposed to take place in 2021. (ANI)
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