Congress to hold nationwide demonstration against fuel price hike

Congress general secretary, KC Venugopal announced that the Congress Working Committee will hold a nationwide demonstration against the fuel price hike continuously for the 17th consecutive day. He said that the government has raised fuel prices continuously for the 17th consecutive day which has caused hardship to the citizens of the country.

New Delhi: The Congress Working Committee, on Tuesday, decided to hold a nationwide demonstration against the fuel price hike, informed party's general secretary, KC Venugopal.

"The government has raised fuel prices continuously for the 17th consecutive day which has caused hardship to the citizens of the country. The party is working out modalities of protest while following the health protocol," said Venugopal during the virtual press briefing.

While expressing "shock" and "concern" over the reported increase in petrol and diesel prices, CWC passed a resolution over the matter, stating, "These extortionate increase have been inflicted on Indian people by the Central Government at a time when they are facing unprecedented economic challenge as a result of COVID-19 pandemic."

It further added, "The CWC notes that the central government is profiteering by fleecing the people of India. There is an inconceivable 820 percent hike in excise duty on diesel and 258 percent on petrol, since 2014. CWC condemns these increases in the prices of petrol and diesel as a sheer exploitation of an already beleaguered people and an act that unjustly enriches the government at the cost of our people struggling with rising unemployment, deep income shortfall and significant salary cuts."

Congress suggested that if the government does not alter the course on this "ill-advised trajectory" then it will have the ruinous consequence of pushing many middle-income households to the margins of poverty and pushing the poor to total economic ruin.

The party also accused the Government for collecting a staggered amount of Rs 18 lakh crore by increasing the excise duty on petrol and diesel 12 times in 6 years, without passing on the benefit to the citizens.

The highest decision making body of Congress party also asked the Government to increase the number of guaranteed workdays under MGNREGA from 100 to 200.

CWC also urged upon the Center to consider Direct Cash Transfer to the poorest of poor, saying, "If the Government is serious about kick starting the economy and reviving consumption or demand then it must do more than announce a package, which is less than 0.8 percent of GDP and consists largely on loan options. CWC urges the Government to inject confidence in the economy by injecting cash through DBT mechanism, in accounts of the poor."