Criticism for the govt poured in from all quarters.
Opposition parties attacked the Modi government over the hike in prices of petrol and diesel with Rahul Gandhi wondering whether these are the "promised acche din" and Jayalalithaa demanding immediate rollback. The ruling Trinamool Congress in West Bengal termed the price hike as a "burden" on general public while the CPI-M stoutly opposed the increase, the third in a month. "The Modi Government increased petrol and diesel prices for the 3rd time in last one month. Is this the promised #AccheDin" (good days), the Congress Vice President said on micro-blogging site Twitter.
At the AICC briefing earlier, party spokesperson Sushmita Dev targeted the government for raising the prices of petrol and diesel. "This insensitive Government has not even spared the women of the household already reeling under high prices of Dal and vegetables and has dealt a double blow by increasing the cost of non-subsidized LPG cylinder by Rs 21 and commercial cylinder by Rs 37", she said. She said while the present price of diesel (In Delhi) is Rs 53.93 per litre and that of Petrol and Rs 65.60 per litre, they should have been Rs 21.66 and Rs 25 respeectively as per the decrease in international crude prices.
Taking a jibe at the government's tagline on its 2nd anniversary that "desh badal raha hai," she said what was actually happening was that the common man was being burdened with rising prices. In Chennai, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa demanded rollback of the latest hike, saying it would lead to increase in prices of essential commodities. "I have pointed out many times that the Price Fixation Policy followed by Oil Marketing companies is wrong. The price of petrol and diesel has now been increased based on this wrong policy," she said in a statement.
The bi-monthly determination of fuel price based on the Rupee-US Dollar exchange rate was "not the right policy", she said pointing to the petrol price hike by Rs 2.57 a litre and diesel by Rs 2.35 per litre. "Due to the hike in petrol and diesel prices, freight charges will increase and the prices of essential commodities will go up, affecting the ordinary people. I urge, the hike announced by the Oil Marketing companies should be withdrawn," she said. In Kolkata, Trinamool Congress said the fuel price hike was a fresh "burden" on the people.
"Yet another diesel and petrol price hike. Yet another burden for common people," TMC national spokesperson Derek O'Brien said. Slamming the Modi government on the issue, CPI-M state secretary Surya Kanta Mishra tweeted, "The hike in the petro product prices by the Modi govt will add to the burns of the common man!Is the silence of CM a part of her "issue based" support?."
The Aam Aadmi Party termed the Centre's decision to increase the prices of petrol and diesel as "anti-people", saying that the move will "worsen" the lives of the common man. In a statement, the party said that for the economy "reeling" under tough times with a delayed monsoon, this blow of price rise will be a hard one to bear. "This is the third consecutive hike in fuel prices in as many fortnights. Petrol and diesel prices had been increased by Rs. 0.83 and Rs. 1.26 per litre, respectively, on May 16 and by Rs. 1.06 and Rs. 2.94 per litre, respectively, on May 1. With the latest revision, the price of petrol in Delhi is Rs. 65.60 per litre and that of diesel Rs 53.93 per litre," it further stated.
"Various units and frontal organisations of the party and its volunteers will go to the people and make people aware of the anti-people moves of the government. The recent hike in petroleum prices will surely enhance prices of essential commodities and services," AAP leader Ashutosh said in a press release. He claimed that this will have a "severe impact" on poor people because poor households spend more than half of their income on food. It is a chain reaction once started will affect all in the days to come.
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