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Fuel price hike: ‘People say, ’don't want acche din, Modiji' - Congress' swipe
Fuel, LPG price hike: Both petrol and diesel will now 80 paise more per litre and LPG cylinders will be ₹50 more expensive.
The oppositioon Tuesday hit out at the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party after fuel prices were hiked - the first increase in more than four months. The price of a LPG (liquified petroleum gas) cylinder was also revised upwards - for the first time in more than five months. Both petrol and diesel will now 80 paise more per litre. A litre of petrol in Delhi will cost ₹96.21 and diesel will be sold at ₹87.47 per litre. LPG cylinders - a key household expenditure for crores of households - are ₹50 costlier. A 14.2-kg cylinder will cost ₹949.50 in Delhi.
The hikes have triggered protests from the opposition, with the Congress' Shaktisinh Gohil serving a notice of adjournment in the Rajya Sabha.
The Congress tweeted: "Elections over, slapping (of the common man) begins".
The party's Rajya Sabha MP Mallikarjun Kharge, who is also leader of the opposition, offered prime minister Narendra Modi his 'congratulations' because he had 'achieved his target of ₹1,000 per LPG cylinder'.
“Congratulations to PM Modiji for achieving his 'target' of ₹1000 per LPG cylinder in most parts of the country.”
"There will now be daily 'vikas' in petrol and diesel prices as well."
"The only affordable things under Modi government are communalism and hatred. Everything else is expensive," Kharge declared.
P
arty spokesperson Randeep Surjewala took a sarcastic swipe over the LP cylinder prices, saying 'people are saying... don't want 'acche din' from Modiji'.
"Big inflation - by BJP! Price of gas cylinders increased by ₹50. Delhi and Mumbai ₹949.50. Lucknow ₹987.50, Kolkata ₹976, ₹Chennai ₹965.50. People are saying, 'please return those good old days. Don't want 'acche din' from Modiji'.
Samajwadi Party MP Jaya Bachchan also lashed out, reminding people that party chief Akhilesh Yadav had warned voters about hike in fuel and LPG prices while campaigning for the Uttar Pradesh Assembly election.
"This is (what) the government does... Akhilesh Yadav repeatedly said in his campaign that you people should be alert... the price is going to increase after the elections. Don't know who brought them (BJP) to power," she said.
The increase in fuel and LPG cylinder prices comes less than three weeks after completion of elections in five states, four of which - Uttar Pradesh, Goa, Manipur, and Uttarakhand - were retained by the BJP.
Petrol, diesel and LPG prices skyrocketed last year - increasing almost daily -earning the centre the wrath of the common man and the opposition.
Prices stabilised, expectedly, as elections approached.
Over the past few weeks the opposition warned people to expect more hikes now that voting had concluded and the results of the elections declared.
Earlier this month Congress MP Rahul Gandhi advised people to 'stock up on petrol and diesel' because the centre would increase prices after polling ended.
READ: Quickly fill petrol tanks, Rahul Gandhi's advice as election fever ends
Also this month industry experts told PTI petrol and diesel prices had to increase by at least ₹15 per litre for fuel retailers to break even.
READ: Elections over, petrol, diesel must increase by ₹15 per litre - Experts
Oil companies, they said, were hoping to reduce losses accumulated from keeping rates steady in the run-up to the elections. Oil cos have also been affected by rising global prices as a result of the war in Ukraine, they said.
With input from ANI
