Opposition parties have trained their guns at the Narendra Modi-led central government over the skyrocketing prices of petrol and diesel across the country. Petrol and diesel prices have been hiked by 80 paise a litre today, marking the eighth increase in the past nine days. Petrol in Delhi now costs Rs 101.01 per litre while diesel costs Rs 92.27 a litre. So far, the prices have increased by Rs 5.60 per litre in the last nine days after no change in rates for three months leading to elections in five states.
The Congress party today said that the government had deliberately reduced petrol prices before elections to win polls. “Reducing fuel prices was their (BJP) poll strategy to win polls. Now they are compensating by increasing prices, in the guise of the Russia-Ukraine crisis. It’s a lie. Tomorrow, March 31, we will protest at Vijay Chowk against the fuel price hike,” said Mallikarjun Kharge, Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said, “Prime Minister’s Daily To-Do List– 1. How much should I increase the rate of petrol-diesel-gas, 2. How to stop people’s ‘Kharche Pe Charcha’ (Discussion on expenses), 3. How to show youth empty dreams of employment, 4. Which government company should I sell today? 5. How to make farmers more helpless.”
The Twitter handle of Chhattisgarh Congress came up with a suggestion that petrol should be renamed as ‘Pushpa’- the famous film character played by actor Allu Arjun in the movie Pushpa.
“The name of petrol should be changed to ‘Pushpa’. It’s neither bowing down nor stopping,” Chhattisgarh Congress said in a tweet.
Shiv Sena MP Priyanka Chaturvedi shared a slap meme on Twitter and said, “Good Morning. Another 80 paise hike. 9 days, 8 hikes!”
The fuel prices have increased across the country and vary from state to state depending upon the incidence of local taxation.
