Congress party on Saturday held a protest march at Press Club Jammu to criticize and oppose the current economic policies of the central government. The protest was also against Pragaya Thakur for her statement on Father of Nation Mahatama Gandhi. Hundreds of Congress activists under the leadership of former Minister and senior Congress leader Raman Bhalla and also DCC Urban President Vikram Malhotra, Mahila Wing President Madam Indu Pawar holding play cards and raising slogans against BJP Govt strongly protested inflation due to central government policies. Some of the women participants were seen wearing garlands made of vegetables like onions, lemons and cauliflower and holding empty steel wares to protest the price hike of essential commodities. Prominent among those who participated in the protest include AICC Member Madam Vandana Mangotra, JKPYC Uday Banu Chib, PCC Madam Kanta Baan,  PCC Member Satish Sharma, PCC Member Amrit Bali, DCC  Dr Rama Kant Khajuria, RuralDistt Sr. Vice President, Sarpanch Ravinder Singh, Rural distt Vice PresidentMohan Choudhary,  Gajan Singh,  Corp.Dewarka Choudhary, Corp Bhannu Mahajan,Corp. Sobhat Ali, Corp. Pritam Singh, Corp. Gourav Chopra, Corp. RituChoudhary, Karan Bhagat, Dewan Chand, Latish Sharma, Ricky Dalotra, BalwinderSingh Rinku, J L Koul  Yudhvir Singh,Vipin Sharma,  Vaibhav Mattoo, PradeepBhagat  Parshotam Mehra, Rajinder Singh Jamwal,Rachpal Bhardwaj, Ajay Sahni, Sandeep Gandotra, Charo Sharma, Pawan Bhagat,Anil Kohli Nageshwar,  Sikander Khan,Vijay Chowdhury, Babu Ram Gupta  Pt OmPrakash Sharma  beside others. Addressingprotestors, Bhalla said that BJP made a lot of promises to the people ofcountry but none of them was fulfilled. Now they are acting as a mute spectatorto their sufferings. During 2014 and 2019 general elections, BJP made tallclaims of creating job and employment for the youths, however, the unemploymentrate is increasing in the country". He blamed BJP for the falling growthrate of the country. He also said that BJP also needs to be blamed for the GDPsituation in the country. "BJP has paralysed our GDP growth rate. Thecountry is witnessing all-time low economic growth and employment rate hasdipped to an all-time low," he said. He alleged that the Centre was nottaking any "effective steps" to improve the economic situation of thecountry. He said that sections of society are facing difficulties and that thecentre should take effective measures to improve the current situation.Expressing serious concern over scarcity of essential commodities, grim powerand water supply in Jammu region, senior Congress leader said that theadministration must come out of deep slumber and infuse responsiveness and anelement of accountability in its machinery in order to mitigate the sufferingsof people. Bhalla said that women folk are bearing maximum brunt of theanti-people policies being propagated by the NDA Government headed by NarendraModi. He said except tall promises, nothing concrete has been done on theground. She pointed towards unprecedented hike in the prices of tomato andonions and alleged that this regime is serving interests of business houses atthe cost of the poor people. Pointing towards failure of the Govt, he said thatthis regime has done nothing to solve basic problems of the people. 

Bhalla maintained that BJP Govt has failed on all fronts.The people of Jammu are experiencing difficulties due to the shortage ofelectricity, erratic water supply and scarcity of ration at the ration depots.He said the authorities are not paying any attention to these burning problemsof the common man.He said BJP today alleged that the UPA failed to fulfill theaspirations of ''Aam Admi''(common man) despite the fact that they had comeinto power on slogan of protecting the interests of common man. While BJP hadpromised the country one crore jobs a year , the BJP-led government has failed miserably in keeping this promise.All major sectors like manufacturing, trade, construction, education, health,information technology, transport, and accommodation and restaurant have failedto pickup under BJP rule. The BJP manifesto promised to ensure a peaceful and secureenvironment, where there is no place for either the perpetrators or exploitersof fear but nothing was done also in this regard also.Seeking the restorationof statehood to Jammu and Kashmir, Bhalla said the Congressmen are on the roadsto convey the voice of the people to the President as the "undemocraticand unconstitutional" steps taken by the Centre left them "deeplyhurt"."People are scared to open their voice for their rights. Thisis the situation which has been thrust on them after this beautiful state wasdismantled," he said amid chants in support of the restoration ofstatehood. The protesters, who were carrying placards and banners, marched in aprocession towards the office of the deputy commissioner where heavy deploymentof Police stopped them and later dispersed off peacefully.

Pradesh Mahila Congress president,  Indu Pawar (Ex-MLA) speaking on the occasionrecalled that BJP had made a false promise to the people of the nation to givethem “Achey Din” but in reality they are giving us “expensive  and bad days” by increasing the prices ofessential commodities .She said when the BJP was campaigning before theelections, they had promised to curb inflation and cut down the cost of basicamenities. But coming to power the BJP Government has started increasing theprice of everything to protect interest of big business houses. While warningthe NDA of intensified agitation if the Centre continued to take such“anti-people decisions”, she regretted said that “BJP has betrayed the peoplein the name of “Achey Din” and after elections their good days are notarriving, but the price hike is taking place on essentials one after theother”.