Ahead of the Assam polls, the opposition Congress on Sunday launched agitations in all the 34 districts of the state to protest against the rising fuel prices
NEW DELHI – Congress interim President Sonia Gandhi on Sunday asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi not to blame previous governments for rising prices but find a “solution” as she termed the fuel price hike a “brazen act of profiteering” and “extortion” to cover up economic mismanagement.
“This is nothing short of extortion to cover up economic mismanagement. As the principal party in opposition, I urge upon you to follow ‘Raj Dharma’ and reduce fuel prices by partially rolling back excise duty,” she wrote in a letter to the Prime Minister.
“What is equally distressing is that despite being in power for almost seven years now, your government continues to blame previous regimes for its own economic mismanagement. To set the record straight, domestic crude oil production has fallen to an 18-year low in the year 2020.
“I hope you will agree that it is time for your Government to focus on solutions instead of looking for excuses. India deserves better,” she said.
Stressing that the crude oil price is nearly half of what it was during the UPA government’s tenure, she said: “Therefore, your Government’s act of raising prices (continuously for 12 days till February 20) is little less than a brazen act of profiteering.”
Gandhi said that she is writing this letter to convey every citizen’s anguish and deep distress regarding the spiralling fuel and gas prices as India is witnessing systematic erosion of jobs, wages and household income.
“The middle class and those at the margins of our society are struggling. These challenges have been compounded by runaway inflation and an unprecedented rise in price of almost all household items and essential commodities,” she said.
Gandhi accused the government of choosing to “profiteer off people’s misery and suffering”. “Fuel prices are at an historic and unsustainable high. In fact, petrol has breached the Rs 100/litre mark in many parts of the country. The surging price of diesel has added to the escalating woes of millions of farmers. What baffles most citizens, is that these prices have been increased despite moderate prices of International crude oil.”
The Congress chief said the government has increased excise duty on diesel by 820 per cent and on petrol by 258 per cent and collected upwards of Rs 21 lakh crore in the last six and a half years. “This unaccounted for windfall is yet to be passed to the people for whose benefit it was ostensibly collected,” she noted.
“Instead, ironically, your Government has been unreasonably over-zealous in levying excessive excise duty on petrol and diesel, Rs 33 on every litre of petrol and Rs 32 on every litre of diesel, which is higher than the base price of these fuels.
“The astronomical rise in domestic non-subsidised LPG Gas cylinder to Rs 769 in Delhi (and over Rs 800 in many states like Uttar Pradesh) is even more cruel and has impacted every household. Can there be any justification for the Government increasing the price of a cylinder by Rs 175 in two and a half months since December 2020?” she asked.
Cong says BJP looting in name of taxes, launches stir in Assam
Ahead of the Assam polls, the opposition Congress on Sunday launched agitations in all the 34 districts of the state to protest against the rising fuel prices.
Senior Congress leaders including former Union Minister and AICC General Secretary Mukul Wasnik led the agitations, which has also become as a major agenda for the opposition parties before the Assembly elections slated for April-May.
While presenting the vote-on-account in the state Assembly, Assam Finance and Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on February 12 announced to remove the additional cess of Rs 5 levied on the petrol and diesel last year, when Covid-19 pandemic was at its peak.
Assam Pradesh Congress president Ripun Bora while addressing a protest rally in Hojai said that the base price of petrol is Rs 33.46 per litre and that of diesel is Rs 31.82 per litre in the state.
“However, the common man is forced to pay Rs 87 per litre and Rs 82 per litre for petrol and diesel respectively. The BJP is simply looting the people in the name of taxes,” Bora said.
“I would simply like to ask the BJP government on what basis it decides the petroleum prices every day? What is the explanation for subjecting the people of Assam to this cruelty,” state Congress Campaign Committee Chairman Pradyut Bordoloi said.
Congress’ Deputy leader in the Lok Sabha Gaurav Gogoi said that the BJP government is looting the public by raising the fuel prices, amid the raging pandemic.
Congress Legislature Party leader Debabrata Saikia said that the common man is burdened with the price rise, so will the BJP government clarify whom it is busy levying tax for?
“Who are those being favoured by the government at the expense of making people suffer so much.”
All India Mahila Congress president Sushmita Dev, who is leading the protests in different districts. said that the “so called ‘double engine’ BJP governments at the Centre and the state are fooling the people”.
“Reducing Rs 5 on petrol-diesel ahead of the state elections is a hoax! Reality is the Modi government at the Centre has increased tax to favour their corporate friends,” alleged Dev, a former Lok Sabha Member and daughter of late Union Minister Santosh Mohan Dev.