Rising fuel prices: Opp targets Centre, BJP blames hike on Russia-Ukraine conflict
The ruling TMC trained its guns on the Narendra Modi government at the Centre for rising fuel prices saying it was doing nothing to reduce the burden on the people.
3 min read
A Congress worker rides a horse during a protest against fuel price rise in Kolkata on Saturday. (PTI)A war of words erupted among political parties on Saturday after prices of petrol and diesel reached a record high. While a litre of petrol was sold at Rs 111.35, the same for diesel stood at Rs 97.02 in Kolkata. The ruling TMC trained its guns on the Narendra Modi government at the Centre for rising fuel prices saying it was doing nothing to reduce the burden on the people.
“The Centre is sitting idle and citing the international price of crude oil to hide its failure to reduce fuel prices. The prices of fuel have been increasing over the last ten days. What is the government doing? It is asking the states to reduce the tax on fuel? The BJP-ruled states have done it but they have been compensated by the Centre through clearances of their dues. However, when it comes to Opposition states, no such niceties are extended. If we reduce taxes on fuel prices, the government will not compensate us,” TMC state general secretary Kunal Ghosh said.
He added that as a direct fallout to the steady rise in fuel prices, the cost of other commodities and transport will also increase.
Senior CPM leader Samik Lahiri slammed both the state and central governments for the . “In no other country does the state government or the central government impose so much tax on fuel. It is unthinkable for fuel to be taxed so much in other countries. Both the governments must reduce the tax that they raise from fuel in a bid to provide relief to the common man,” Lahiri said. Meanwhile, Congress workers staged a protest outside Raj Bhavan on Saturday to target the Centre over the fuel price rise. In a symbolic protest, some Congress workers even rode horses and hand-pulled rickshaws.
The BJP said the rising fuel prices were a fallout of the Russia-Ukraine armed conflict. “The world is going through unprecedented times. The ongoing military conflict in Ukraine has made everything costlier. Due to the rise of crude prices in the international market, the price of fuel is also increasing. As the government does not control fuel prices, it has no role in the increase,” BJP spokesperson Samik Bhattacharya said.
Meanwhile, some private bus operators have started charging more from the passengers in view of the fuel price hike. However, state Transport Minister Firhad Hakim has warned that if any private bus operator is found charging more than the stipulated rates, action would be taken.
You May Like
