Last year, the overall Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of COVID-struck India crashed, falling 7.6 percent. The second wave of COVID, which brutally hit the country between April and May, has also hampered an economic rebound. In June, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) lowered the country’s growth projection for 2021-22 to 9.5 percent.
Police in India’s Madhya Pradesh state used water cannons and batons to disperse Congress party members on Wednesday as they were protesting against rising inflation.
Congress workers converged in the state capital city of Bhopal. They were chanting slogans against recent economic instability under Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led federal government.
According to NDTV, the demonstrators were protesting against price hikes, including the sky-rocketing prices of petrol and diesel.
Videos emerging from the barricaded protest site show security officials trying to disperse the crowd using water cannons and physical strength.
As the second wave of COVID faded after June, economic activities gradually began picking up pace in India. In June, the World Bank slashed India’s growth forecast to 8.3 percent, while the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) lowered the country’s growth projection to 9.5 percent year on year.
Amid pandemic-caused inflation and job losses, the price hike for cooking gas cylinders and fuel in India rose excessively, burning a hole in the pockets of middle class Indians.
Earlier, leaders of the Congress party were seen riding bullock carts to protest the federal government. Last month a mock funeral of a motorbike was also arranged in West Bengal state to protest fuel prices.
Sourse: sputniknews.com
