Mob ransacks oil filling station in Aurangabad for hoarding petrol

Aurangabad, May 27 : Enraged residents in Aurangabad, Maharashtra, attacked an oil filling station for hoarding petrol ahead of an impending hike in fuel prices.

They went berserk after they were deprived of petrol for two days.

"They have hidden petrol in their station. The prices of petrol and diesel are likely to increase in few days and they are hoarding it now. We have informed the collector of the district about it. If they do not supply petrol, BJP activists along with members of the youth federation will forcibly extract it," said Bhagwatarad, a BJP activist.

Meanwhile, BJP activists staged a rally riding cycles and bullock carts to protest an imminent fuel price hike.

"We have protested rallying in bicycles and bullock carts and if the situation remain same then we will block roads," said Karad, BJP activist.

Last week, ministry officials proposed to raise petrol prices by ten rupees, or 22 per cent, and diesel prices by five rupees, or 15.8 per cent. But officials and analysts said the Central Government is expected to significantly tone down the steep fuel price hike proposal due to an electoral setback for the ruling party over the weekend and inflation fears.

State-run refining and fuel marketing companies import most of their oil, but have to sell fuels at heavily discounted rates set by the government.

ANI