Congress planning nationwide protest against soaring fuel prices: Chennithala
Congress is planning a nationwide protest against the increasing fuel prices, Opposition Leader in the Kerala Assembly, Ramesh Chennithala in Kochi said on Friday as he attacked the BJP-led government at the Centre over the soaring prices of diesel and petrol. Chennithala urged the Centre and State Governments to lower the excise duty on diesel and petrol to ease the burden on the people.
Chennithala was speaking at the commencement of Aiswarya Kerala Yatra
Commencing the Aiswarya Kerala Yatra in Ernakulam district today, Chennithala said, "Congress is planning an all India protest if the prices of fuel continue to soar on an uncontrolled level." The Yatra is said to prepare the ground for Congress-led UDF ahead of Assembly polls.
UPA subsidized petrol, diesel prices: Chennithala
Chennithala said, "When the UPA Government was in power, price of crude oil was US$ 108 per barrel, but petrol and diesel were sold at a subsidized rate of Rs. 71.41 and Rs. 55.49 per liter." "Now, the crude oil price is far less than half of UPA rates but the Narendra Modi-led government has increased the prices of petrol-diesel sky high," he added.
Centre and LDF indulging in profiteering, alleged Chennithala
Chennithala alleged that the BJP-led government at the Centre and the LDF Government in Kerala were indulging in profiteering instead of passing on benefits of low prices of crude oil to consumers by reducing the hiked rates of petrol, diesel and LPG gas.
Petrol price in Delhi neared Rs. 88 per liter
Chennithala also urged the CPI(M)-led government in Kerala to reduce the tax levies on fuel to provide relief to the state people hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. On Thursday, the petrol price in Delhi closed in on record Rs. 88 per liter mark while diesel neared Rs. 85 in Mumbai after rates across the country were hiked for the third day in a row.
