From Our Special Correspondent 
Daijiworld Media Network

Bengaluru, Jun 9: With petrol prices zooming past the Rs 100 mark across Karnataka, the state Congress has decided to launch mass protests all over the state for five days from June 11 in front of 5,000 and odd petrol bunks.

Addressing the news conference, KPCC president, D K Shivakumar told reporters on Wednesday that “petrol pickpocket is going on” and the central government had earned Rs 21.60 lac crore revenue by increasing petrol prices by 48 times since January 2021.

Congress MPs, MLAs, MLCs and former legislators, office-bearers of all cells and district and block level units would take part in protests in front of petrol bunks in district headquarters on June 11. 

The state Congress leader said protests would be held in front of petrol bunks at taluk headquarters on June 12, in hoblis on June 13, in gram panchayats on June 14 and other prominent places on June 15.

He said petrol prices hiked 16 times each in January, February and June, which is nothing but a 'loot' especially when people are trying to come to terms with their problems due to the Covid pandemic.

The KPCC chief claimed that the Narendra Modi regime did not hike in prices of petroleum products during March, April and May owing to elections to five states and union territories.

Strictly observing all Covid protocols, protests would be held for one hour from 11 am to 12 noon on the stipulated days, he said.

All party leaders have been asked to shoulder the responsibility of protests and conduct video recordings of protests. Videos of protests would be uploaded in social media of the party and later dispatched to the AICC, he said.

Shivakumar directed all party leaders to capture the protest in video and forward the same to the Congress party’s IT cell and also the social media unit, which will also be forwarded to the All India Congress Committee (AICC).

"We need to remember the situation during the tenures of Dr Manmohan Singh, P V Narasimha Rao, Rajiv Gandhi or Indira Gandhi to understand how the then governments tackled the situation and how the people are being exploited now,’’ he said adding: "It is also necessary to remember the BJP reacted when it was in the opposition."

The KPCC chief said the people must protest against daylight robbery and pickpocketing.