SAD slams post-poll hike in petrol prices

The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) on Friday slammed the Congress-led UPA government for effecting a "steep" rise of Rs 1.40 per litre in petrol prices just a day after tasting the "biggest-ever" defeat in three assembly elections and bypolls across the country, including Moga.

The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) on Friday slammed the Congress-led UPA government for effecting a "steep" rise of Rs 1.40 per litre in petrol prices just a day after tasting the "biggest-ever" defeat in three assembly elections and bypolls across the country, including Moga.

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In a statement issued here, SAD president and Punjab deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal said the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government was out to punish the middle class which had unitedly and decisively decimated the Congress in all these elections.

He said the UPA, instead of focusing on governance, was busy mortgaging assets of the country to multi-national companies (MNCs), filling their coffers ahead of the 2014 elections. He wondered what was the need for the government at the Centre if MNCs were deciding the rail fare hike or the petrol price hike.

Demanding immediate rollback of the petrol price hike, Sukhbir said the SAD would not allow the Parliament's authority to be denigrated by the incumbent ruling party that was announcing price hikes without taking Parliament into confidence.