SURAT, June 24: The city unit of the Youth Congress, on Wednesday, staged a dharna to protest against the rising prices of edible oil and ``the deteriorating law and order situation in the city.''The dharna, which began at 10 am at the statue of Mahatma Gandhi, concluded at 5 pm, after which the members marched towards the collectorate to submit a memorandum to the district collector and the police commissioner.City Youth Congress office-bearers including its president Ashok Pimple, along with city Congress leaders including president Thakore Naik, Kadir Pirzada, Bhupendra Solanki, president of the women's wing Urmila Patel, Sanjay Patwa, Jayesh Kantharia were among the prominent protestors.They shouted slogans against the BJP government and its leaders for its failure to arrest the rising prices of essential commodities. They also threatened to intensify their agitation if the government failed to initiate steps to tackle the situation.They also grappled with the police, when they were stopped from entering the collectorate. They handed over the memorandum to District Collector R M Shah, who assured the members that he would take up the matter with the government, while the police commissioner assured the agitating members that the police had already initiated measures to check the situation.The spurt in prices of essential commodities, strike by secondary school teachers and its effect on students, increase in crime including loot, murder and other anti-social activities, increase in liquor dens and unaccountability of the government featured in the memorandum submitted by party workers.
