Fuel price hike: Cong to protest inside and outside Parliament

The Congress on Wednesday stepped up its attack on the BJP government after petrol and diesel prices were raised by 80 paise for the second day in a row and said it would protest both inside and outside Parliament. A record 137-day hiatus in rate revision ended on Tuesday with an 80 paise per litre increase in rates. Prices had been on a freeze since November 4 ahead of assembly elections in five states. Congress MPs from both houses of Parliament protested outside the Gandhi statue in the Parliament House complex against the price hike in petrol, diesel and LPG gas. Party MPs have also given adjournment notices in both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha to discuss the issue.

“We will continue to protest both inside and outside Parliament against this unjustified price hike. The government is looting Rs 10,000 crore from this price hike,” Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge told reporters. Party leaders, he said, were of the view that the government had held back the raise because of assembly elections and started hiking the prices as elections were over. Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said, “‘Loot People Plan’ continues! Petrol Diesel Prices hiked by 80 Paisa, Rs 1.60/litre in 2 days.” “Best time to loot farmers is harvesting season. Looting Middle Class-Salaried is their divine right. Dare not protest or They’ll show u a “film” or Hide it behind religion-caste,” Surjewala said on Twitter.