Fuel price hike: State Cong to hold protest on May 31
CHANDIGARH:THE Congress plans to hit the streets against the “failure” of the Narendra Modi government to check high fuel prices. The Punjab Congress would be part of the nationwide protest to be launched by Rahul Gandhi on May 31, state party chief and Gurdaspur MP Sunil Jakhar said while addressing a press conference here on Monday.
Citing comparative data, he said the prices of diesel and petrol were much lower during the Congress-led UPA regime despite higher crude oil prices.
“On May 31, 2012, the international price of crude oil was USD 104.09 per barrel while diesel and petrol in India was being sold at ₹40.91 and ₹73.18 per litre. On May 25, 2018, the rate of crude oil has fallen sharply to USD 67.50 per barrel but diesel and petrol were being sold at ₹69.09 and ₹78.12 per litre. It clearly shows the Modi government is busy filling coffers of big business houses,” he said.
Flanked by ministers Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa and Bharat Bhushan Ashu, he demanded a bonus of ₹100 per quintal for paddy due to diesel prices.
Asked if the Punjab government would reduce tax on petrol and diesel to bring down prices, he said revenue from VAT on fuel is the main source of income for the state. “But if the Centre does not take measures to bring down the prices, we will be ready forgo our revenue,” he said. He also hit out at the SAD-BJP combine, saying they left the state with a huge burden and have also failed to plead the state’s case as an ally at the Centre. He challenged Union minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal to resign from her ministerial berth in protest against the GST on ‘langar’.
He showed video clips of the Bharat Bandh and “Jail Bharo organised by BJP across the nation on May 31, 2012, against petrol/diesel price hike.
‘MLAS MET RAHUL, MATTER ENDS THERE’
When asked about the state party leadership not reaching out to three senior MLAS Rakesh Pandey,