JANUARY 8: This is certainly not the way that Mumbai welcomes a union cabinet minister, especially one who represents the city in the Parliament. But Ram Naik, petroleum minister and MP (Mumbai North), was harangued by angry Congress activists on Sunday morning at Mulund as he went about the drill of laying a foundation stone for a gas pipeline. The reason for their ire: yet another hike in petrol and diesel prices making the fuel the most expensive in the country.Naik was scheduled to lay the foundation stone for gas pipelines of the Mahanagar Gas Limited that supplies piped natural gas to consumers. Naik as well as the organiser Mahanagar Gas were taken aback as a group of protestors made their way to the site and shouted slogans decrying the minister and the recent hike. The hike was the seventh in the last 22 months and has invoked the wrath of Mumbaiites many of whom believe that consumers should not be made to pay higher prices only because the oil companies are supplying cleaner (low sulphur, low benzene) fuel.``Not only our activists but even the common man in Mumbai is furious over the unnecessary hike effected by the petroleum companies for fuel being sold in the city only,''said former mayor R R Singh who led the demonstrations.``This is nothing but injustice to the people on Mumbai.''Said Sunil Gangwani, secretary of Mumbai Regional Congress Committee, ``We protested against Naik as his department has put burden of price hike four times in a year. Instead of giving some relief to the city he represents, he is putting more and more burden on Mumbaikars.'' Singh, Gangwani and other activists of Mulund unit of the Congress were arrested by the police for showing black flags and shouting slogans against Naik. They also poured tar on the plaque where the foundation stone was laid by Naik.The oil companies have hiked the petro prices in Mumbai to offset the cost incurred by them on desulphurisation plants set up tp provide cleaner petrol and diesel after a recent High Court order to the effect. However, consumer activists believe that the costs should not be passed on to the consumer because clean fuel should have been provided by the companies anyway.``The reason given by the companies is not justifiable. The desulphurisation plants will be adding to the pollution in the city. Further, why should the consumer in Mumbai pay for getting less pollutant fuel. It is our right and the Central government should take care of the extra cost,'' said Gangwani.
