Fuel prices cross Rs 77 in Delhi & Rs 85 in Mumbai; No discussion on petrol & diesel in Cabinet meeting

The inflation in fuel prices on Tuesday was followed by protests by opposition, where Congress workers, led by party's Delhi unit president Ajay Maken took out a cycle march at the India Gate.

New Delhi: Fuel prices have sky-rocketed in the country, with price crossing the 77 mark in the national capital and 85 in Mumbai. There has been constant rise in the rate for the tenth day, ‘fuelling up’ troubles for the centre. To consumers' surprise, the government did not even mention the fuel price hike in the Central cabinet meeting, which began on Wednesday morning and no decision was taken on the taxes levied on the fuel. Taking on government on the price hike, Aam Aadmi Party said "The government has been collecting the tax-payers' money for the 2019 general elections". The inflation in fuel prices on Tuesday was followed by protests by opposition, where Congress workers, led by party's Delhi unit president Ajay Maken took out a cycle march at the India Gate. Maken said that prices of petrol and diesel were not hiked by the Modi government in view of the Karnataka elections. "The Modi government did not hike the prices of petrol and diesel till the Karnataka elections were over to impress the voters, but now the prices are hitting the roof due to daily increase," he said. The march started from Rajpath and passed through Man Singh Road to India Gate circle, with Congress workers on cycles raising slogans against the hike in fuel prices. Maken said that during the Congress rule, on May 23, 2013, a litre of petrol cost Rs 63.09 while the diesel price was at Rs 49.69 per litre in Delhi. On May 21, 2018,  the price of a litre of petrol in Delhi was Rs 76.57 and that of diesel was Rs 67.82. "The Modi government does not have any logical answer for the steep hike in the prices of petrol and diesel," he said. He alleged that the price hike was "intended" to benefit the oil companies.