Mamata slams Centre for cooking gas price hike, calls it ‘Great Indian Loot’
KOLKATA: Reacting to the news of a further hike of Rs 50 in the price of a domestic LPG cylinder, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday alleged that the Bjp-led Central government was “tormenting” the people of India by regularly raising prices of fuel and termed it the ‘Great Indian Loot’.
“The Union government must immediately stop tormenting the people of India! By repeatedly increasing fuel prices, LPG prices & prices of essential commodities, @ Bjp4india is actually conducting a Greatindianloot. People are being fooled,” Banerjee tweeted. The price of domestic cooking gas was increased by Rs 50 per cylinder on Saturday, the second increase in the last two months, taking the price to Rs 1,026 in Kolkata. The price of an LPG cylinder varies across cities depending on the local taxes.
Banerjee also alleged that the BJP has taken the common people for a ride and criticised the media for remaining silent over the issue.
Sukhendu Shekhar Ray, Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha MP, addressing a press conference on Saturday, urged people to raise their voices against the anti-people policies of the Modi government. “After coming to power in 2014, BJP had said the people of India will never see such an effective government. We have seen their effectiveness every day and, unfortunately, the Centre has made a profit by increasing the prices of petrol, diesel and cooking gas,” he said.
Ray stated that the price of a cylinder of commercial gas had reached Rs 2,355. As a result, small industries will be adversely affected.
He maintained the rise in prices of petrol and diesel has hit pockets of the common man badly. The price hike has not only affected those who use cars and trucks but has increased the prices of essential commodities and vegetables, which have gone beyond the reach of the common man.
He said Mamata Banerjee had suggested that the Centre should sit with the chief ministers of all the states to determine the prices of diesel and petrol.
Taking a swipe at BJP leaders for saying that fuel prices have increased across the globe, Ray said: “At a time when India increased the prices of petrol and diesel, how come our neighbouring countries like Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bhutan have controlled the rates of fuel.”
He said 1 litre petrol now costs Rs 115.12 as against Rs 91.41 in May 2021. Diesel used to cost Rs 65.62 per litre against Rs 99.83 now. “It is the government that has come to loot people,” he maintained. Ray said the price of many medicines, including life-saving drugs, had gone up drastically. One strip of commonly used paracetamol now costs Rs 35.50 against Rs 18 in 2019.
He said the increase in the repo rate by RBI has resulted in an increase in EMI on cars, houses and personal loans which have hit the common people. “The country is heading for an economic disaster and so we have demanded that economic reforms should be reworked,” he said.
He added that the World Health Organisation (WHO) said the number of Covid deaths given by the Centre was fudged. To cover up the fault, the Centre has said the procedure followed by WHO is faulty.
Meanwhile, a rally to protest against the rise in price of cooking gas was organised in Kalighat by the Trinamool Congress. Chandrima Bhattacharya, the Trinamool Mahila Congress president, Mala Roy, party’s Lok Sabha MP were present.