Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor led hundreds of auto rickshaw drivers in his constituency in Kerala to protest against rising prices of petrol and diesel and pulled an auto rickshaw with a rope
Team Clarion
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM — The Congress has been protesting in many states over the rising prices of petrol and diesel. Senior Congress leader and former Union Minister Shashi Tharoor on Friday protested against the rising fuel prices by pulling an auto rickshaw with a rope here.
Tharoor took to the streets in his constituency and led hundreds of auto rickshaw drivers. He symbolically pulled a three-wheeler with a rope to express protest against the soaring petrol and diesel prices.
Shashi Tharoor has shared a video on his tweeter handle in which he is seen pulling an auto with a rope, a different style to convey the impact of fuel prices hike on a common man.
He tweeted, “Symbolically pulled an auto-rickshaw in Thiruvananthapuram to protest extortionate fuel taxes & the failure of both Central & State governments to reduce their share of the loot. Over a hundred autos joined the protest under the auspices of INTUC…”
Symbolically pulled an auto-rickshaw in Thiruvananthapuram to protest extortionate fuel taxes & the failure of both Central & State governments to reduce their share of the loot. Over a hundred autos joined the protest under the auspices of @INTUCnational pic.twitter.com/e0D0M29Ffj
— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) February 26, 2021
Hundreds of auto rickshaw drivers joined Tharoor to protest against the rising prices of petrol and diesel and staged a protest in front of the Kerala Secretariat.
Tharoor, while addressing the drivers, said: “Where the burden of fuel tax is proving unsustainable for the aam aadmi. It’s unconscionable that Indians pay 260 per cent tax on their fuel while Americans, for instance, pay 20 per cent. Fuel taxes affect all other prices.”
Addressed protesting auto rickshaw drivers in Thiruvananthapuram, where the burden of #FuelTaxLoot is proving unsustainable for the aam aadmi. It’s unconscionable that Indians pay 260% tax on their fuel while Americans, for instance, pay 20%. Fuel taxes affect all other prices. pic.twitter.com/ztKukSzGH0
— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) February 26, 2021
Earlier, the Congress had also staged a protest in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan over the rising prices of petrol and diesel and raised a strong voice against the government.
Congress youth wing, Indian Youth Congress (IYC) activists staged a protest outside the petroleum ministry in New Delhi on February 20, over the hike in the fuel prices and the rise in LPG gas cylinder prices and demanded that the central government reverse the increase with immediate effect.
The IYC activists also demanded the resignation of the Union Petroleum Minister.
Congress interim chief Sonia Gandhi has recently termed the fuel price hike a “brazen act of profiteering” and “extortion” to cover up economic mismanagement.
In a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the issue, Sonia wrote on February 21, “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.”