Fuel price hike: Shiv Sena puts up 'yahi hai acche din?' banners at petrol pumps

Earlier this month, key functionaries of the ruling Shiv Sena led protests in Mumbai as part of a state-wide campaign against the rising fuel and cooking gas prices.

Two days after petrol price touched an all-time high of ₹97 in Mumbai, the Shiv Sena’s youth wing on Monday put up banners at several petrol pumps in the city targeting the Centre over the rising fuel prices.

The banners put up by Shiv Sena at several Mumbai petrol pumps. (ANI Photo )

Taking a swipe at the BJP government, whose slogan during the 2014 Lok Sabha elections was 'Acche Din Aane Wale Hain' (good days are about to come), Yuva Sena hung hoardings at petrol pumps and roadside in Bandra West. The hoardings asked ‘Yahi Hain Acche Din?’ (are these the good days?). The remark was followed by a comparison of fuel prices in 2015 and 2021, according to which the price of gas, diesel and petrol ranged between ₹50- ₹65 in the former year and corresponding prices are nearing or have already ₹90 mark in the latter.

On Monday, petrol was selling at ₹97 per litre in Mumbai while diesel cost ₹88.06 per litre.

Union petroleum minister Dharmendra Pradhan has said that India has urged the Opec (Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries) to ease the production cuts as they were hurting the consumers in the economy, which has just begun to revive after the coronavirus pandemic. "There are two main reasons for the fuel price rise. The international market has reduced fuel production and manufacturing countries are producing less fuel to gain more profit. This is making the consumer countries suffer," the minister said.

The opposition has been slamming the government for soaring fuel prices triggered by production cuts by global oil producers. On Sunday, Congress president Sonia Gandhi expressed her “anguish and deep distress regarding the spiralling fuel and gas prices”.

Earlier this month, key functionaries of the ruling Shiv Sena led protests in Mumbai as part of a state-wide campaign against the rising fuel and cooking gas prices. The party has warned it would intensify the protests if the Centre does not take steps to reduce the prices. “The Union government has been looting the common man for months by increasing the fuel prices... This has to stop. Shiv Sena will intensify protests if the Centre does not arrest the price rise,” Sena leader Ashish Chemburkar had said.