Over 100 mass organisations hold protest against Modi govt

Over 100 mass organisations today held a march in Delhi to protest against the anti-people policies being pursued by the central government.

With the slogan 'Pol Khol, Halla Bol', the Jan Ekta Jan Adhikar Andolan (JEJAA), an umbrella organisation consisting of trade unions, peasant organisations, state and central government employees, Dalits, Adivasis, environmentalists, among others, took to the streets of the capital against the BJP government which completes four years in the office later this week.

The march culminated at the Parliament Street where leaders of various organisations addressed the masses.

"Four years of the NDA government has devastated the lives of all sections of the toiling people and none of its promises to the people had been fulfilled. It had promised 'Sabka Vikas' (development of all) but the Vikas' was for only a chosen few corporate companies. Either the government changes its policies or people will change the government, said All Indian Kisan Sabha (AIKS) leader, Hannan Mollah, at the gathering.

He also added that the BJP manifesto in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls had claimed to provide 2 crore employment per year but even 2 lakh jobs per year were not created in the last four years.

Speaking at the protest, AIKS leader Atul Anjan pointed out that price rise is skyrocketing and the public distribution system has collapsed with no funds.

"The Modi government has surrendered to the corporate companies in their mission to loot the people through unbridled hike in the price of petroleum products," he said.

The leaders of the JEJAA also accused the BJP-RSS of "unleashing terror" by spreading caste and communal hatred and violence and said that it was a "war against the Modi government".

Democratic institutions have been taken over by the RSS cadres and the law and order situation has become the worst-ever in the BJP-ruled states with gangs roaming free on streets lynching people and they are being protected by those who are in power, the leaders at the gathering alleged.

The protest marches, which were also held in all the state capitals, would be followed by one week of campaign through distribution of leaflets, cycle and motor cycle rallies and meetings all over the country.