Fuel Price Hike: Congress To Stage Protest In Petrol Pumps Against Incessant Spike In Rates

Congress leader KC Venugopal emphasised that the protests will focus on the economic woes faced by common man including the skyrocketing fuel and cooking gas prices, the rising unemployment and rising prices of all essential commodities.

Congress leaders protest against petrol, diesel prices. (Getty Images)

New Delhi: In the wake of incessant fuel hike and cooking gas prices, the Congress will be organising symbolic protests in front of petrol pumps across the country on Friday to demand rollback in prices.

The protest will be organised by the local units of the Opposition party following Covid-19 protocols as prescribed by the local, district and state administrations and that there will be no public meetings, informed Congress general secretary KC Venugopal.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, Congress leader KC Venugopal emphasised that the protests will focus on the economic woes faced by common man including the skyrocketing fuel and cooking gas prices, the rising unemployment and rising prices of all essential commodities.

"On one hand they could not get medicines and health facilities at the right time, on the other, they have been suffering because of the failing economy and widespread unemployment,” Venugopal said.

Accusing the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government for the fuel rate hike, Venugopal stated. “The wrong priorities and anti-people policies of the BJP government can also be gauged from the fact that in the last 13 months of the corona epidemic, the prices of petrol and diesel have been increased by an unprecedented Rs25.97 and Rs 24.18 respectively,” he alleged.

The senior Congress chief stated that the prices of petrol and diesel have been raised on 44 occasions in the last five months alone, “which is a living example of loot from the public by the BJP government at the Centre.” “Instead of sympathising with the problems of the commoners, the BJP government has decided to disregard the sufferings of the people and continue to inflict pain by raising the prices of petrol and diesel every other day,” he stated.

On Thursday, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also blamed the government over the rising fuel prices saying that at a time when the common man is grappling with an economic crisis, the government was profiteering through taxation on petroleum and diesel.

"When the country was facing a disaster, people were grappling with an economic crisis, then the government earned Rs 2.5 lakh crore through taxation on petrol and diesel," Priyanka Gandhi said in a Facebook post.

The petrol prices have breached the Rs100-per-litre mark in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Ladakh.

Meanwhile, petrol and diesel price were raised on Friday for the 23rd time since May 4. In the latest hike announced by the oil companies, petrol will become dearer by 31 paise per litre, while diesel price has been raised by 28 paise for a litre.

Petrol price in Mumbai has breached the Rs102 per litre costing Rs 102.04 per litre after the latest rise. The diesel price in Mumbai has been revised to Rs94.15 per litre.