In a retaliatory political move, the Madhya Pradesh police have booked Congress Rajya Sabha member Digvijaya Singh and 150 others for leading a cycle protest against the hike in fuel price allegedly without taking permission and for neglecting lockdown precautions against the spread of coronavirus.
Digvijaya Singh, along with party workers, took out a bicycle rally in Bhopal on Wednesday. Former minister Jitu Patwari and many local Congress office-bearers held a similar protest in Indore.
Significantly, the prices of petrol and diesel increased for the 19th consecutive day on Wednesday. In some parts of Madhya Pradesh, the prices are higher than elsewhere in the country.
On Thursday also the rising trend continued. Petrol price was raised by 16 paise while diesel price was up by 13 paise per liter. In Bhopal, petrol is selling at Rs 87.55 and diesel at Rs 79.46 per liter.
Seventy-three-year-old Singh along with Congressmen took out the rally from Roshanpura square to Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan’s residence on Wednesday which was stopped midway at Apex Bank tri-section, TT Nagar police said on Thursday.
Police said Singh has been booked for disobeying order promulgated duly by a government official, unlawful assembly, and negligent act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life and Malignant act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life.
State Congress chief Kamal Nath has taken to Twitter to slam the government saying that the price of petrol was highest in Madhya Pradesh. Kamal Nath Besides, lampooning the Centre, said for the first time in the country’s history – the price of diesel was more than that of petrol. Inflation was taking a toll on the poor continuously, his tweet read. A participant in the protest said the BJP had in 2014 promised to bring petrol prices to under Rs 25 a liter. Now the taxes on the commodity are more than Rs 30.
