Cong's RTI rally turns into pro-retail event

By Staff
|
Google Oneindia News

Lucknow, Sept 2 (UNI) A rally organised by the Uttar Pradesh Congress here in support of the Right To Information Act today turned into a pro-retail event.

Officially, the RTI Task Force of the UPCC had organised a rally in support of the RTI. But as soon as the rally left the UPCC premises, several of the members raised slogans in support of the new Agricultural Policy and slammed the Mayawati government for withdrawing it without taking into account the interests of the farmers. Some of them were also holding banners supporting opening of retail outlets in the state. The activists also staged a silent dharna in support of the new Agriculture Policy.

Later, some of the rallyists handed over a memorandum addressed to the Chief Minister to the district authorities. The memorandum was signed by Vikalp Samiti, a Varanasi-based NGO. ''I am not aware of the details...I was at the back when some members handed over the memorandum,'' said RTI Task Force in charge Shailendra Singh. Other members who handed over the memorandum claimed that Vikalp Samiti had nothing to do with Congress. ''It is an NGO,'' they added.

The single-page memorandum claimed that people and farmers alike were happy at the introduction of the new Agriculture Policy announced by the state government. ''While the farmers were glad that they would not have to approach Mandi Parishad to sell their produce, customers were happy at getting commodities at lower price from retail outlets such as Big Bazaar and Spencer's...But it is unfortunate that some miscreants used muscle power to prove that they were against the new policy,'' it read referring to the recent attack on Reliance Fresh outlets by a pro-Samajwadi Party traders' organisation.

The state government had decided to shut all Reliance Fresh outlets temporarily after the violence.

The memorandum added that the withdrawal of the policy had forced industrialists to rethink their plans to invest in UP.

UNI

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