Raman leads cycle rally to protest price rise

Chhattisgarh chief minister Raman Singh today led his cabinet ministers and legislators of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to paddle bi-cycle for reaching Legislative Assembly in protest against escalating food prices. Singh along with the ministers and legislators assembled this morning at the official residence of Public Works Department Minister Brijmohan Agrawal from where the cycle rally was flagged off.

Traffic on the 12-km road connecting the city with the Legislative Assembly was stranded to facilitate the cycle ride of Singh and his minister. The rally was a part of the BJP's campaign against the price hike. It took about 50 minutes for the chief minister and others to reach the Assembly, where the ruling party members entered into heated debate with the opposition Congress members over the issue of food price rise. Ravindra Choubey, Leader of Opposition termed the rally as a political stunt of the BJP.

"It is the state government to control the price of food items and the chief minister has failed in doing so," Choubey said. Singh supported the party's programme and they took part in the cycle rally to support the cause of common man. "We want to send a message to the Union Government that common man is suffering from rising food prices and the Centre should make provisions in the Budget to bring the skyrocketing food prices down," Singh said.