HP BJP criticises hike in petroleum products

Shimla, Jun 4 (UNI) The BJP today criticised the UPA Government for hiking the prices of petroleum products and said the people of the country will not spare it for this.

''Instead of following the BJP's advise of reducing custom and import duties on petroleum products, the government has increased the prices of petrol by Rs five, diesel Rs three and LPG cylinder by Rs 50,'' party's state president Jai Ram Thakur said in a release here.

He said the people would not spare the UPA Government for the hike. ''It seems the party has not learnt any lessons from its defeat in 11 states recently,'' he added.

Mr Thakur said both Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Finance Minister P Chidambaram have failed in providing succor to the common man who was already suffering due to rise in the prices of essential commodities.

''The latest hike in petroleum products and high prices of food items would have inflationary impact following which prices of food items, pulses, oil, iron and cement would rise further,'' he said.

The BJP leader also criticised the left parties and said they were shedding crocodile tears over the hike in the petroleum products, while they were to be blamed for it.

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