Chandigarh, May 25 (IANS) Punjab Congress President Amarinder Singh Raja Warring on Monday condemned the repeated hike in the prices of petrol and diesel, saying the Prime Minister Narendra Modi government was stealing money and picking the pockets of the common man, even when crude oil prices had fallen in the international market and oil companies were making huge profits.
Referring to the hike in fuel prices, Warring said fuel prices had been increased by about Rs 7.5 per litre in recent days, while accusing the Prime Minister Narendra Modi government of doing it “stealthily” by increasing prices in a piecemeal manner.
He pointed out that in just 10 days, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government had increased petrol and diesel prices for the fourth time, terming it “not governance, but systematic inflation imposed on people”.
The Congress chief questioned why the government needed to increase fuel prices when global crude oil prices had declined, and oil companies were already earning huge profits.
“Instead of giving relief to the people, the Prime Minister Narendra Modi government is fleecing citizens and extorting money from them through repeated hikes,” he said in a statement.
Warring noted that petrol had become costlier by over Rs 7.5 per litre in less than two weeks, while diesel had witnessed a similar increase.
He asked how the middle class, farmers, transporters, small traders, daily-wage earners, and youth were expected to survive such an economic burden.
He pointed out that petrol prices in Delhi had crossed Rs 102 per litre (Rs 102.12), while diesel had reached Rs 95.20 per litre, with rates being even higher in several metro cities.
He added that the latest hike alone increased petrol prices by Rs 2.61 per litre and diesel by Rs 2.71 per litre.
“Every increase in fuel prices directly impacts transportation costs, vegetables, milk, groceries, and every essential commodity. This is not merely a fuel crisis — this is an inflation crisis affecting every household,” he added.
–IANS
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