Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) today criticised the steep hike in the price of diesel and LPG by terming it as deliberate punishment being meted out to the citizens for raising their voice against the Congress party. "By hiking the prices of LPG the Congress-led UPA government has deliberately targeted middle class for punishment as it was most vociferous against ruling party in anti-corruption campaign throughout the country," SAD said in a statement. Party president Sukhbir Badal said,"The formula of multinational oil companies for calculating the market price of diesel and LPG was totally opaque." These companies were "putting the burden of their inefficiency,unreasonable refining margins,bonus,perquesites besides unreasonable dividend and profit on the common man already grinding under record price hike of essential commodities," he said. The party has been demanding a Joint Parliamentary Committee which would determine the cost of oil products,but the Congress-led UPA government was dragging its feet over the issue,he claimed. While demanding an immediate rollback,Badal said his party would continue to protest till Congress-led UPA government reverses its "anti-people decision." The six cylinders a year would bring back the ration era of Congress party,the statement also said.
