BRS stages protests across Telangana over LPG price hike

Hyderabad, March 2 (IANS) Telangana's ruling Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) on Thursday staged protests across the state against the hike in price of cooking gas.

Ministers, MPs and state legislators led the protest at various places in the state. Large number of women along with empty gas cylinders participated in the protests.

The protestors were carrying posters and raising slogans slamming the BJP-led government at the Centre for further burdening the common man with another hike in LPG price.

On a call given by BRS working president K. T. Rama Rao, protests were organised in headquarters of all Assembly constituencies.

Rama Rao also took to Twitter to taunt the Modi government over the price rise. "Congratulations to the "Double Engine" NPA Government on successfully Tripling the LPG Cylinder prices," wrote the BRS leader who calls National Democratic Alliance (NDA) as Non Performing Alliance (NPA).

Finance minister T. Harish Rao led a big protest at Medchal near Hyderabad. He alleged that the Modi government continued to burden the common man by hiking the gas price.

"When gas price was Rs 400, the same BJP used to raise a hue and cry but it has tripled the price," he said.

Harish Rao alleged that the BJP has almost lifted the subsidy on cooking gas. He pointed out that during the UPA regime, the subsidy was Rs 2.14 lakh crore but after BJP came to power it reduced the subsidy every year and it has now come down to Rs 37,209 crore.

The minister recalled that the price of domestic cooking gas cylinder in 2014 was Rs 410.50 but with the latest hike, it has gone up to Rs 1,155. "In nine years, the price of a cylinder has increased by Rs 744.50. Thus there has been an increase of 178 per cent in this period," he said.

The BRS leader said that the BJP government was increasing the price by Rs 100 after every election. He pointed out that this time too the price has been increased soon after voting was over in Meghalaya, Tripura and Nagaland. He predicted the price will go up further after the Karnataka elections.

He urged people to question the BJP leaders about the price rise when they come to their areas for street corner meetings.

Minister for animal husbandry led the protest at Gandhi statue in Secunderabad in the state capital. As a mark of protest, BRS workers cooked the food on firewood.

The ruling party also organised a huge protest on Tank Bund. MLA D. Nagender led the protest.

Large number of women participated in the protest through cooking in Karimnagar. Participants in the protest led by civil supplies minister Gangula Kamalar raised the slogan aBJP hatao desh bachao'. Excise minister Srinivas Goud led the dharna in Mahabubnagar.

In Warangal, Government Chief Whip Vinay Bhaskar led the protest. Bhaskar termed the hike in gas price as a gift to women on the eve of international women's day. "At a time when women are preparing for the celebrations, the central government has betrayed them by increasing the price," he said.