New Delhi: Congress party, on Monday, attacked Central Government on repeated fuel price hike for over 3 weeks, alleging it of "fleecing" people by not providing them with the benefits of low crude oil prices.
"Today, 130 crore Indians are battling coronavirus pandemic, people are struggling to survive the economic wreck unleashed by the anti-people policies of the Modi Government. But instead of reducing their burden, BJP Government is fleecing people by not just raising fuel rates on a daily basis but also refusing to share benefits of lower crude oil prices," said Congress spokesperson Khushbu Sundar.
She further added, "The repeated and unjust increase in the prices as well as in the Central Excise Duty on petrol and diesel over the last 3 months of the lockdown has inflicted insurmountable pain and suffering on the people of India."
Congress party has also launched a nationwide demonstration against the Central Government over the fuel hike prices. Along with this, the opposition party also had an online campaign #SpeakUpAgainstFuelHike, in which Congress members are uploading their live videos on various social media platforms as a symbol of protest against the Central Government's decision of fuel price hike.
Sundar mentioned that in May 2014, when BJP assumed power, excise duty on petrol was Rs 9.20 per litre and on diesel Rs 3.46 per litre. But in the last 6 years, Government has increased the excise duty on petrol by an additional Rs 23.78 per litre and on diesel by Rs 28.37 per litre.
"This is a shocking hike in excise duty on diesel by 820% and 258% on petrol," she said.
She also alleged that the Modi Government has "earned" Rs 18 lakh crore in the last six years by increasing excise duty on fuel prices.
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Khushbu Sundar asserted, "Since the Lockdown, the extent of extortion and profiteering by repeated increases in price and excise duty on petrol and diesel has surpassed all forms of exploitation."
Calling it the "biggest proof of cheating", Congress demanded the Government to pass on the benefits of low crude oil prices to the people, an immediate rollback of hike in excise duty, and to bring petrol and diesel prices under GST.
