NEW DELHI: Congress spokesperson Dr Ragini Nayak Basoya on Tuesday slammed Prime Minister Modi for the current fuel price hike at a time when the global crude prices were dropping.
She said the Prime Minister was claiming no petrol-diesel crisis in the country and no clouds of inflation. She said same was the song by Home Minister Amit Shah and Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri was talking of no worry since India has reserves petrol and diesel.
If everything is “changa” as claimed by the Prime Minister, he should tell the nation why the petrol price went up by Rs 8 a litre and diesel rs 7.80 a litre when the crude oil prices have come down below $100 or as nearly $98 per barrel, Ragini asked.
She said the government could have given the fuel relief from Rs 43 lakh crore recovered as the excise duty at the rate of Rs 1000 crore per day. She said the people are facing crisis of the cooking gas. She pointed out that Germany and Australia reduced the excise duty and even small country like Nepal reduced the price by Rs 2.
Referring to a report that three state-run oil companies have made a combined net profit of 41% which is Rs 19,470 crore, she asked why this profit was not shared with the people.
Ragini referred to an average excise hike of Rs 19.5 per litre on petrol and Rs 18 on diesel. If nothing else, at least this excise duty may be reduced.
She regretted that Modi’s priority is to go abroad, give bombastic lecture, distribute toffee and chocolate and show reels to the Indians
On the BJP government, ministers and spokesmen talk of the global crisis, Ragini said if Modi not been a compromised PM to surrender before Trump, India would not have been pleaded with the US president repeatedly for cheaper crude oil from Russia. She said India is getting 12 lakh barrels of crude oil every day.
She also asked how the PM will get back 12 ships stucy in Hormuz. Will he offer Melody sweet to get back the Indian ships and reduce the debt of Rs 216 lakh crore. Will he improve the foreign policy by making reels and distributing Melody?
Asking the Prime Minister to call a press conference to announce reduction of prices of petrol and diesel, Ragini said the inflation is also hit indirectly. She cited increase of milk price by Rs 2 a litre, bread by Rs 5 a packet and the vegetable prices are also increasing.
