Pune: The Congress party kicked off its week-long Gandhigiri protest titled "Salute to Pune Residents Enduring Petrol Price Hike" today, drawing a significant response from locals on the very first day.

The protest, aimed at highlighting the excessive petrol and diesel prices, was marked by peaceful demonstrations and symbolic gestures inspired by Mahatma Gandhi’s methods of non-violent protest.

The movement started at the Kulkarni Petrol Pump on Laxmi Road at 11 a.m. Protesters, led by senior Congress leaders, carried placards with bold slogans criticizing both oil companies and the Modi government.

"Salute to Pune Residents Enduring Petrol Price Hike," "Oil Companies and Modi Government Get Rich, While the Public Struggles," and "Petrol Prices Rise, Modi Government Loots Consumers," were some of the key messages conveyed.

In a Gandhian twist, every vehicle driver who visited the petrol pump received a pamphlet detailing the current petrol prices along with a rose as a symbolic gesture of peace.

Congress leaders highlighted that despite a 32.5% reduction in international crude oil prices over recent years, domestic petrol and diesel prices remain exorbitantly high.

Former minister Ramesh Bagwe pointed out that the public should have seen a reduction of ₹20-₹25 per liter, but instead, the government and oil companies have allegedly exploited the situation, pocketing an estimated ₹35 lakh crore.

Mohan Joshi, the protest’s main organizer and former MLA, stated, “Just as Mahatma Gandhi used non-violent protests to bring down the British regime, we will use peaceful protests to hold the Modi government accountable.”

He expressed confidence that the protest will gain traction across all eight legislative constituencies in Pune, with similar events planned in the coming days.