Congress workers detained during half-day 'bandh' over fuel price
Bhopal: Former Madhya Pradesh minister PC Sharma said he and several other Congress leaders and workers were detained here by the police on Saturday during the state-wide half-day 'bandh' called by his party to protest against the rising fuel prices.
The call for half-day bandh has so far evoked mixed response as many shops in Bhopal and elsewhere could be seen functioning as usual.
While the ruling BJP said the bandh has failed, the opposition Congress claimed that it has received a good response.
Talking to PTI, Sharma said, "I was detained from the bus stop number 6 with other Congressmen while we were requesting the shop owners to get the shutters down."
"I have been brought to the central jail campus with other Congressmen," he added.
MP Congress spokesperson Bhupendra Gupta accused the BJP government of forcibly keeping the shops open.
"Our bandh is getting a good response," he claimed. State BJP's chief spokesman Deepak Vijayvargiya said the Congress has no bearing in the state and its bandh has completely failed.
In a few districts of the state, including Indore, there were reports of standoffs between the police and the protesters.
"Police came to my petrol pump and asked us to open it. On the other hand, the Congressmen are requesting us to keep the facility shut," an owner of a petrol pump told PTI.
"We are caught in the crosshairs," he said.
State Congress chief Kamal Nath had on Friday urged the people to join in the 'bandh' in order to "wake up the government over the soaring prices of petrol, diesel and cooking gas".
Meanwhile, MP Petrol Pump Owners' Association secretary Nakul Sharma said that additive-mixed petrol of a leading oil marketing company is now priced at Rs 102.26 per litre, while regular per litre petrol is being sold at Rs 98.58 and diesel at Rs 89.21 in Bhopal.
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Stalin claims DMK secured 1.54 crore votes
Chennai (PTI): DMK president M K Stalin on Tuesday, in a veiled reference to the TVK, claimed that the party that won additional constituencies has gained only 17.43 lakh more votes than the DMK.
He was referring to the April 23 Assembly polls where the DMK and its allies secured 74 seats, with the Dravidian party netting 59 constituencies.
In a statement, Stalin said, "the percentage difference in votes between us and them is just 3.52 per cent," in an apparent reference to the Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kahzagam emerged victorious in the polls, the results of which were announced on Monday.
Claiming that the DMK alliance has secured 1.54 crore votes, Stalin said, "I consider each and every one of your votes as an invaluable token of trust".
Stating that DMK has been in power several times, he said "there is no victory we have not seen and there is no defeat we have not faced".
"Whether in victory or defeat, those who regard them equally and continue their journey toward their ideals are the comrades of the party", he said adding "you are the lifeblood and roots of the movement".
"The harvest of 1.54 crore votes is the fruit of your commitment", he said.
"What return can I offer for your hard work? With the feeling of being the chief worker, we will continue our journey," the DMK chief added.
Stalin said "if we are the ruling party, we will formulate schemes for the people. If we are the opposition party, we will fight for the people's demands. In that regard, now as a strong opposition party, we will continue to work for the people".
Asserting that the DMK will continue the journey of taking forward the policies of the century-old great Dravidian movement, protecting race, language, and nation, the DMK leader said "in our journey, I will not leave anyone behind. We will win again".
