His statement can't be justified: Congress on Union Minister Alphons Kannanthanam's comment on petrol & diesel prices

STF team raids Lucknow petrol pumps/ ABP News image

"His statement not be justified at any cost," said M Veerappa Moily of Congress, reported news agency ANI.

New Delhi: Commenting on Union Minister Alphons Kannanthanam's comment on petrol and diesel prices, Congress said, on Saturday that his statement can't be justified.

Bureacrat-turned-Union Minister KJ Alphons on Saturday yet again stoked a controversy when he said that people who own bikes and cars are not starving and can afford to pay higher prices for fuel. His comments coming at a time when fuel prices are at a three-year high when international crude prices have crashed attracted strong criticism from opposition parties which described them as insensitive to the common man's problems.

"Prime Minister has a huge dream for the poor of India. What is that dream? It is very simple. 30 per cent of Indians go to bed without a full meal meal a day. Lot of our people do not have access to toilet. Lot of people do not have a house," he said. Congress leader and former petroleum minister Veerappa Moily attacked Alphons saying it was an atrocious statement. "This is how bureaucrats, who come to politics, have no understanding of people's problems. Many of the ministers in Modi's government are like this." ABP News image/Representational