Lucknow, July 23: The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) organised dharnas in Assembly segments across the state on Wednesday to protest against the increase in diesel and petrol prices.
It also staged demonstration against the alleged derogatory remarks made recently by UPCC chief Rita Bahuguna Joshi against Chief Minister Mayawati.
All party MLAs and MPs were asked to ensure their presence in their areas.
“Despite supporting the government at the Centre, the party wanted to make it clear that it should not be held responsible for inflation. So, we organised dharna programmes to register our protest over the issue,” a senior BSP leader said.
According to reports, BSP workers gathered in almost every Assembly constituency to target the Congress. They focused mainly on the issues like unemployment, migration and inflation in their speeches.
In Kanpur, BSP workers gathered at Ramaipur, Gurudev Chauraha, Vijay Nagar, Bara Devi, Sangeet Talkies Chauraha, Ghantaghar, Ramadevi, Faithfulganj, Bilhaur and Ghatampur to launch a campaign against the Congress.
In Lucknow, they were led by senior minister Nasimuddin Siddique at dharna site near Daliganj Bridge.
According to a release issued by the BSP, the UPA government’s decision to increase the prices of petro products is meant to serve the interest of capitalists.
‘Will teach a lesson to whoever insults Mayawati’
Jitendra Singh Bablu, the BSP legislator allegedly involved in the arson at Uttar Pradesh Congress president Rita Bahuguna Joshi’s house, said on Wednesday that he will not tolerate disrespect for Chief Minister Mayawati.
“I will teach a lesson to whoever insults my great leader,” he said. Addressing a gathering of BSP workers at Bikapur on Wednesday, Singh, however, denied his involvement in the arson at Joshi’s residence and alleged he was being falsely implicated. At the time of the incident, he was attending puja at a temple in Ayodhya, he claimed.
Though the BSP had organised the protest against the recent increase in the prices of petroleum products, the speakers focussed almost entirely on Joshi’s alleged remarks against Mayawati.
–Agencies