Rahul calls for rollback in costs of gasoline, leads protest towards hike

By PTI

NEW DELHI: Stepping up the assault towards the federal government over steep hike in gasoline costs, Congress chief Rahul Gandhi on Thursday mentioned the rise in petrol and diesel costs has been unprecedented and demanded its roll again.

Leading a protest by Congress MPs on the problem at Vijay Chowk right here, he mentioned costs of petrol and diesel have risen 9 instances within the final 10 days, and the widespread man is essentially the most affected on account of this.

Congress MPs from each the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha carrying placards raised slogans towards the federal government and sat on a dharna towards the gasoline value hike.

Among these current included Leader of Opposition within the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge and Congress chief within the Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury.

“Our demand is that the government should control prices and stop raising petrol and diesel prices,” Gandhi mentioned whereas noting that the poor and center class have been worst hit by the hike.

“We can see that petrol and diesel prices are climbing rapidly. The government is making thousands of crores from this. The 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 instructed reporters.

“I had said that when elections will be over, the prices of petrol and diesel will be rising and had asked people to fill up their tanks,” he mentioned.

Gandhi shared on Twitter petrol charges in international locations within the Indian sub continent. “Petrol Rate in Indian Rupees (Rs) Afghanistan: 66.99. Pakistan: 62.38. Sri Lanka: 72.96. Bangladesh: 78.53. Bhutan: 86.28. Nepal: 97.05. India: 101.81.

“Don’t ask questions to the ‘Fakir’, who shares knowledge on the camera. Loots India while carrying a bag full of ‘jumlas’ (rhetoric),” Gandhi mentioned in a tweet in Hindi, utilizing hashtag “MehangaiMuktBharat”.

Gandhi mentioned this stage of value rise in petrol and diesel has been unprecedented, whereas accusing the federal government of stealing the cash from the poor and handing it over to industrialists.

The Congress can also be launching a week-long countrywide protest “Mehngai Mukt Bharat’ towards inflation and rise in gasoline costs, beneath which it is going to launch a social media marketing campaign in addition to beat plates and drums.

It can even garland LPG cylinders throughout the nation in any respect state and district headquarters to spotlight excessive inflation and rise in gasoline costs.

Petrol and diesel costs had been on Thursday hiked by 80 paise a litre every, taking the entire enhance in charges within the final 10 days to Rs 6.40 per litre.

Rates have been elevated throughout the nation and differ from state to state relying upon native taxation.

This is the ninth enhance in costs because the ending of a four-and-half-month lengthy hiatus in charge revision on March 22.