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'Expect petrol to see vikas. Govt must stop fooling citizens': Rahul Gandhi
Petrol prices: The Congress has suggested the surge in prices in the last few weeks has been more than what the government has slashed.
A day after the government announced slashing of central duties on petrol by Rs. 8 a litre and diesel by ₹6, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi took a swipe at the government with a brief comparison in his tweet. The effective drop in fuel prices, he suggested, was a mere whitewash. “Petrol Prices: May 1, 2020: 69.5. Mar 1, 2022: ₹95.4. May 1, 2022: ₹105.4. May 22, 2022: ₹96.7. Now, expect Petrol to see ‘Vikas’ in daily doses of ₹0.8 and ₹0.3 again. Govt must stop fooling citizens. People deserve genuine relief from record inflation. (sic),” Rahul Gandhi wrote in a tweet.
Between March and May, the surge in prices was more than the drop that is set to take effect after the central government’s latest announcement, Rahul Gandhi implied.
As India witnesses new records in prices of essentials amid the Ukraine war, finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday made several key announcements, including a cut in excise duty.
A subsidy of ₹200 per LPG cylinder - to over nine crore beneficiaries of the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana - will be provided, she said, adding that the subsidy will be provided for a maximum of 12 cylinders per year.
The change in fuel prices came into effect on Sunday. “This will reduce the price of petrol by ₹9.5 per litre and of diesel by ₹7 per litre. It will have revenue implication of around ₹1 lakh crore per year for the government,” Sitharaman said in a tweet.
Shortly after, Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted: “It is always people first for us! Today’s decisions, especially the one relating to a significant drop in petrol and diesel prices will positively impact various sectors, provide relief to our citizens and further ‘Ease of Living’.”
But Congress’s Surjewala was quick to hit out at the government. “Dear FM, How much will you fool the public? The price of petrol today is ₹ 105.41/Litre. Today you reduced the price of petrol ₹ by 9.50. Just 60 days ago on March 21, 2022, Petrol price ₹ was 95.41/Lit. In 60 days you first increased the price of petrol by ₹ 10/litre and now ₹ decreased it by 9.50/litre,” he tweeted in Hindi.
Several other states have - in line with the government - announced revised fuel prices.
