Congress stages nationwide protest against fuel price hike

The BJP that came to power criticising the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government at the Centre for ‘high’ fuel prices, is now at the receiving hand with fuel prices skyrocketing across the country.

The Congress on Friday staged protests across many states to demand the withdrawal of the price hike in petrol and diesel in the country. Hundreds of Congress workers gathered near petrol pumps in many states including Delhi, Tamil Nadu, Punjab, Karnataka, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, raising slogans against the Centre.

“When the UPA was in power, tax on petrol and diesel was Rs 9.20. Now, it is Rs 32. We demand complete rollback of excise duty hike on petrol-diesel. Fuel should come under the purview of GST,” said Congress leader K.C. Venugopal while protesting against the fuel price hike in Delhi.

Former Uttarakhand CM Harish Rawat told The Daily Guardian, “If the BJP government does not reduce the price of petrol and diesel oil, then there will be a big demonstration across the country.”

Congress leaders also said that when crude oil price was $130 a barrel under the UPA regime, the prices of petrol and diesel were Rs 71 and Rs 58 per litre respectively. Under the BJP rule the price of petrol rose to Rs 85 a litre when the crude oil price was $30 and has now touched Rs 100 a litre when crude oil price was priced at $55.

“The Manmohan Singh government was taxing the affluent through direct taxes and had spared the poor by keeping indirect taxes at a lower rate. But, the Narendra Modi government was just doing the opposite,” Congress leaders said.

Excise duty on fuel had increased at least three times in the last seven years, they said. Delhi state president Ch. Anil Kumar said that the unchecked rise in the prices of petrol and diesel have led to rise in the prices of all essential commodities, and people, without jobs and any source of livelihood, find it extremely difficult to keep themselves alive.