Jayalalithaa demands rollback of petrol price hike

AIADMK leader Jayalalithaa today demanded immediate rollback of the petrol price hike, saying it would adversely affect the poor.

"If the Centre is really concerned about the citizens, it should have taken steps to get back money deposited in foreign banks by Indians. If it was done, there would not have been any need to increase the prices of petroleum products," she said in a statement.

Claiming that the Centre had details of bank deposits of over 250 Indians with German banks, she said one could not understand why the government did not release the figures. The suspicion was whether those allegedly involved in the 2G spectrum scam would have deposited black money in these banks, she said.

The petrol price hike would only pave the way for an increase in price of essential commodities, which had already gone up, she said, adding people now feared that the Centre would also accept the request of oil companies to raise prices of diesel and LPG.

MDMK leader Vaiko has also demanded an immediate withdrawal of the petrol price hike.