AASU Intensifies Protests Against Rising Fuel Prices in Assam

Protests Erupt Across Assam

Guwahati, May 26: The All Assam Students' Union (AASU) has ramped up its efforts against the escalating fuel prices and inflation, organizing protests throughout the state on Tuesday. Demonstrators burned effigies of Union Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri at various district headquarters, calling for immediate government action to alleviate the financial strain on citizens.

The protests, which took place simultaneously in numerous districts, highlighted the significant increases in petrol, diesel, and essential goods prices. AASU representatives stated that these hikes are severely affecting daily life for residents in Assam and beyond.

In Guwahati, tensions escalated when protesters ignited Puri's effigy near Swahid Bhawan, prompting police intervention to extinguish the flames, which led to a brief confrontation at the protest site.

Samiran Kalita, a member of AASU's Kamrup district unit, criticized the government's rationale that the crisis in West Asia was responsible for the price increases, contrasting it with the pre-election period when prices were reportedly stable. He questioned, "Why were prices not raised before elections? Why was the West Asia conflict not mentioned then? It is evident that the government has failed in its governance. If it cannot fulfill its responsibilities, it should resign on moral grounds."

The protests spread across Assam, with effigy burnings and demonstrations reported in Tamulpur, Biswanath, Bijni, Jorhat, and other district headquarters.

In Tamulpur, AASU's district unit gathered at Puran Chowk, burning Puri's effigy and chanting slogans such as "Stop price rise," "Down with the Government of India," and "Down with the Assam government."

Tamulpur unit of AASU staging protest in coordination with its central leadership across Assam (Photo: AT)

One protester warned, "The price of petrol and diesel is increasing daily. Our protests will intensify if the state and central governments do not take action to control inflation."

In Bijni, AASU members burned the Petroleum Minister's effigy at the local market, voicing their discontent with the BJP-led governments at both the national and state levels. A local member stated, "We condemn the government for its failure to manage the rising prices, which continue to escalate."

In Biswanath, over a hundred AASU members gathered in front of Swahid Bhawan to express their grievances.

"From food items to essential medicines and LPG, prices are skyrocketing. We urge both the state and central governments to provide relief immediately," a local AASU leader remarked, describing the situation as one that has "paralyzed" the populace under what he termed the double-engine government.

Similar protests were observed in Jorhat, where AASU members burned an effigy of Hardeep Singh Puri outside the Jorhat Sadar Police Station. The members marched from the organization’s office carrying the effigy and chanting anti-government slogans before the effigy-burning, during which a brief verbal clash occurred between protesters and police.

Pritam Jyoti Saikia, president of Jorhat district AASU, expressed that the continuous hikes in petrol and diesel prices, justified by fluctuations in international markets, are unacceptable. He claimed that the rising fuel costs have also led to increased prices of essential goods, further burdening ordinary citizens.

“We burned the effigy of the Petroleum Minister demanding immediate measures to control price increases,” he stated.

Tuesday's protests mark the latest and most extensive escalation in AASU's ongoing campaign against inflation. Earlier this month, the student organization had conducted similar demonstrations throughout Assam, warning that their agitation would intensify if substantial relief was not provided by the state and central governments.