Gujarat: Congress calls 'symbolic bandh' to protest inflation, unemployment

Congress workers staged demonstrations in Bharuch and different parts of Gujarat as a part of the 'symbolic bandh' called by the party to protest against inflation and unemployment.

In the wake of the 'Gujarat bandh', the shop owners pulled down their shutters in support of the protest.

Congress recently held a mega rally on 'Mehangai Par Halla Bol' against inflation in the country, unemployment, and the Goods and Services Tax hike at Ramlila Maidan in the national capital.

Taking to Twitter, Rahul Gandhi said that the rise in the price of essentials has made people think 10 times before buying necessities.

"King is busy earning for friends and people are suffering from inflation. Today, people have to think ten times even before buying what they need. Only the Prime Minister is responsible for these problems. We will keep raising voices against inflation, the king will have to listen," he said.

Rahul Gandhi recently came down heavily on the Narendra Modi-led Central government and said that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) are dividing the country and a sense of fear has engulfed the minds of people about " their future, inflation and unemployment and that's turning them towards hate."

"Hatred is rising in India. Fear of inflation and unemployment is increasing in India, and due to this hatred is rising. BJP and RSS dividing the country and creating fear in the country. Who gets the benefit of this fear? Is it poor, farmer, or small traders who are getting any benefit from the Narendra Modi government? Only two industrialists in the country benefitting from this fear and hatred," said Congress MP.

Congress has been attacking the government over price rise and unemployment and saying that these are issues of the common people and should be discussed at all forums.

"BJP giving all the benefits to two people. Now see Narendra Modi did demonetization. Did it help the poor? The three farm laws that were withdrawn later by the govt were not for farmers but it was for those two industrialists only. But the farmers came on the road and showed their power to Narendra Modi and when PM Modi saw this, he had to take back the three farm laws," Rahul Gandhi said.

The Congress leader further said that the Modi government broke the backbone of small and medium enterprises.

"In one way, you are being affected by unemployment and secondly, you are hit by the price rise. Narendra Modi asks what has Congress done in seventy years. I will say, that in seventy years, Congress has not shown such a price rise to the country and when the Opposition wants to raise the issue in Parliament then Narendra Modi's government doesn't allow it. Whether it is farmers' issue or China," he added.

Rahul Gandhi said, "PM Modi ji's ideology says that country should be divided and the profits from it should be shared among a few industrialists."

"Congress gave India the historical Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), but Narendra Modi's government said in the Parliament that it's an insult to the poor. Today, if there would not have been MGNREGA, there would have been fires in the country. Our party took 27 crore people out of poverty but the BJP government has pushed 23 crore, people, into poverty in just ten years. Narendra Modi is taking the country backward. This will help Pakistan and China and not India. The more there will be hatred and fear, the more the country would weaken," he said.

Rahul Gandhi said that the Congress' ideology can bring the country on the path of progress.

"I want to ask you whether price rise and hatred strengthen the country. Narendra Modi and BJP are weakening the country. Congress party unites the country. We erase hatred and when hatred is erased, the country moves faster. Congress ideology can bring the country on the path of progress," he said.

The 'symbolic bandh' protest will last for four hours.