Congress leaders protest against fuel price hike at Vijay Chowk in Delhi
Highlights
- Rahul Gandhi noted that the poor and middle class have been worst hit by the hike
- He accused the govt of stealing money from the poor and handing it over to industrialists
- Fuel prices were today hiked by 80paise, taking the total increase in last 10 days to Rs 6.40/L
Stepping up the attack against the government over steep hike in fuel prices, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday said the rise in petrol and diesel prices has been unprecedented and demanded its roll back. Leading a protest by Congress MPs on the issue at Vijay Chowk in Delhi, he said prices of petrol and diesel have risen nine times in the last 10 days, and the common man is the most affected due to this.
Rahul said that the poor and middle class have been worst hit by the hike. This level of price rise in petrol and diesel has been unprecedented, he said while accusing the government of stealing the money from the poor and handing it over to industrialists.
"In the last 10 days, petrol and diesel price have been increased 9 times. We demand that the rising prices should be brought under control. Congress party is holding nationwide protests on this issue today," he said.
"We can see that petrol and diesel prices are climbing rapidly. The government is making thousands of crores from this. Congress is protesting across the country against this price rise of petrol and diesel. The government has to stop doing this. It has to ensure that prices do not rise," he added.
Congress MPs from both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha carrying placards raised slogans against the government and sat on a dharna against the fuel price hike. Among those present included Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge and Congress leader in the Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury.
"We had predicted that as soon as elections in five states will conclude the fuel prices will be hiked. We demand that fuel prices be rolled back. The government cannot understand the difficulties being faced by the public because of rising fuel prices," Adhir Ranjan, who is Congress' leader in the Lok Sabha, said.
Meanwhile, the grand old party said that it is also launching a week-long countrywide protest against inflation and rise in fuel prices.
Petrol and diesel prices were on Thursday hiked by 80 paise a litre each, taking the total increase in rates in the last 10 days to Rs 6.40 per litre. Rates have been increased across the country and vary from state to state depending upon the incidence of local taxation. This is the ninth increase in prices since the ending of a four-and-half-month long hiatus in rate revision on March 22.
READ MORE: Petrol, diesel prices continue upward run; ninth revision in 10 days so far
