AAP stages protest in Noida, seeks Prez's intervention to check rising prices of vegetables, fuel

Noida (UP): Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) workers staged a demonstration here on Saturday over rising prices of vegetables and fuel in the country, and sought President Ram Nath Kovind's intervention in checking inflation.

Around 40 party workers handed over a memorandum of their demands addressed to the President to the city magistrate.

Citing rising costs of onions and tomatoes among other vegetables and food items and the high price of petrol and diesel, the AAP said, "The impact of inflation is affecting Uttar Pradesh because it is primarily an agrarian state. The price rise has impacted farmers also."

"We are hopeful that you would consider the situation of the people in the country and intervene immediately, bringing relief to farmers and other common people, the AAP's memorandum to the president stated.

AAP leader Bhupendra Judaun alleged that the central government's policies have led to the price rise of essential commodities like vegetables and fuel.

"The costs are skyrocketing and people's troubles have amplified due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic," Judaun alleged in a statement.

AAP's local spokesperson Sanjeev Nigam blamed the rise in prices of vegetables on the agriculture-related laws passed by the Centre recently despite objection by Opposition parties and protests by farmers in parts of states, including Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh.

"It is now clear that with these laws, the government is helping corporations who procure items from the farmers at low rates and sell them at higher rates to the public. Black-marketing is also on the rise, Nigam alleged.