Maharashtra Congress Leaders Ride Bicycles To Assembly Over Fuel Prices

India: After Tejashwi Yadav in Bihar, Robert Vadra in New Delhi, and a whole bunch of opposition MLAs in Madhya Pradesh, it was the Maharashtra Congress’s turn today. Top leaders of the ruling party today arrived at the state Assembly in Mumbai riding bicycles to register their protest against galloping fuel prices.

Their choice of day for the protest was significant – the first day of the state Assembly’s budget session. The Congress is part of the Shiv Sena-led Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi alliance that rules the state, which includes the Sharad Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP).

Maharashtra ministers Balasaheb Thorat, Aslam Shaikh, and Yashomati Thakur, and Mumbai Congress chief Bhai Jagtap were among those who took part in the rally.

Talking to reporters, state Congress chief Nana Patole accused the Centre of mocking the people and committing the “sin” of snatching food from their mouths. “The state government has made life of the common man difficult with the rise in petrol price…the Centre is mocking the people,” he alleged.

Fuel prices have been rising across the country over the past many weeks. In Mumbai, petrol is selling at over ₹ 97and diesel at ₹ 88.64.