Congress president Sonia Gandhi attacked the Modi government over the ongoing farmer agitation and the hike in fuel prices and said the country is today standing at the crossroads for the first time since Independence. On the hike in fuel prices, she accused the government of profiteering and said it is turning a disaster into an opportunity to fill its coffers. She also alleged that the government is breaking the back of the poor, the farmers and the middle class due to its insensitivity.
“I demand from the government that the rates of excise duty on petrol and diesel be made similar to that during the UPA regime and provide immediate relief to the affected people. I once again appeal to the government to repeal the three farm laws immediately and fulfil all the demands of farmers” she said in a statement.
Sonia Gandhi said in the midst of a collapsing economy due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Modi government is trying to turn the disaster as an opportunity to fill its coffers. While the price of crude oil is USD 50.96 per barrel just Rs 23.43 per litre internationally diesel is being sold for Rs 74.38 and petrol at Rs 84.20 per litre in the national capital. This is the highest in the last 73 years.
The Congress chief said despite lower international prices, the government has broken all records of profiteering by exorbitantly raising excise duty instead of passing on the benefits to common people. In the last six-and-a-half years, the Modi government has increased excise duty to recover about Rs 19,00,000 crore from the pockets of common people. BJP government has increased the price of gas cylinders that has hurt the budget of every household. Petrol price on Thursday scaled to an all-time high of Rs 84.20 per litre in the national capital after state-owned fuel retailers hiked rates for the second day in a row.
Petrol price on Thursday was hiked by 23 paise per litre and diesel by 26 paise a litre, according to a price notification from oil marketing companies. In Delhi, petrol now costs Rs 84.20 per litre and diesel is priced at Rs 74.38. In Mumbai, petrol comes for Rs 90.83 a litre and diesel for Rs 81.07. This is the highest ever price of petrol in Delhi, while diesel is at record high in Mumbai.
