Sonia Gandhi slams Govt on fuel price hike, farmers agitation

Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Thursday slammed Central government for increasing the excise duty of fuel. The country stands at crossroads with thousands of farmers agitating against the farm laws but the government is breaking the back of the peasants and the middle class with this unprecedented fuel price hike, she charged.

New Delhi: Congress President Sonia Gandhi, on Thursday, launched a scathing attack on the Union Government for increasing the excise duty on fuel at a time when thousands of farmers are already agitating at the Delhi borders.

In a statement released by Congress party, Gandhi stated, "For the first time in the history of independent India, the country stands at a crossroads today. On one hand, country's Annadata has been standing on the borders of Delhi for the last 44 days in support of its legitimate demands, while the country's autocratic, insensitive and ruthless BJP government is busy breaking the back of the poor peasant and middle class."

She further added, "In the midst of the collapsing economy of Corona, the Modi government is trying to make the disaster an opportunity to fill its treasure. Today the price of crude oil is $ 50.96 per barrel i.e. just ₹ 23.43 per litre. Despite this, diesel is being sold for ₹ 74.38 and petrol at ₹ 84.20 per litre. This is the highest in the last 73 years."

Today, Petrol price has hiked by 21-24 paise per litre and diesel by 26-29 paise across the country, amid firming international oil prices. In Delhi, the petrol prices reached to Rs 84.2, while diesel is at Rs 74.83 a litre. In Mumbai, petrol retailed at Rs 90.83 per litre while diesel at Rs 81.07 per litre.

Congress alleged that despite lower prices in the international market, the government has broken all records of "profit recovery" by increasing excise duty wildly instead of giving its benefits to the general consumer. "In the last six and a half years, the Modi government has increased excise duty to recover about ₹ 19,00,000 crore from the pocket of common people," said the Congress President.

She demanded that the rates of excise duty on petrol and diesel be similar to the UPA regime and provide immediate relief to the affected people.

"I demand from the government that the rates of excise duty on petrol-diesel be similar to the UPA regime and provide immediate relief to the affected people. I also urge the government to cancel all the three farming laws immediately and fulfil all the demands of the farmers," Sonia Gandhi asserted.

Congress MP Rahul Gandhi also slammed the Union Government over this matter, by tweeting, "There has been a tremendous 'development' in the prices of petrol and diesel. The Modi government is looting the public by charging heavy tax on fuel. This is why the government is not willing to implement GST on petrol-diesel."

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