Modi govt turns #EkPaiseKiSarkar: Even humour fails to end commoners’ woes over high fuel prices

On Wednesday, the hashtag--#EkPaiseKiSarkar--to attack the Modi government was trending on Twitter.

New Delhi, May 31: In more than two weeks, the country has witnessed how astronomical rise in prices of petrol and diesel can leave everyone high and dry. First, the Centre went ahead and hiked prices of petrol and diesel for 16 days without a break. Before that there was a lull for almost 20 days when petrol and diesel prices remained unchanged, thanks to the Karnataka Assembly elections earlier this month.

Petrol and diesel prices have already reached an all-time high in the country almost breaking the backbone of commoners.

On Wednesday, when the government decided to bring down fuel prices in the wake of reduction of crude oil price at the international market, it once again came across as ungenerous as it reduced both petrol and diesel prices by just 1 paisa a litre each.

But in Kerala, the state government got a pat on its back by consumers for deciding to reduce the prices of petrol and diesel by Rs 1 a litre each in the state from Friday, June 1. With this, Kerala became the first state to announce a cut in fuel prices.

On Thursday, petrol and diesel prices were reduced for a second consecutive day, but again the price cuts were very negligible. While petrol price was cut by 7 paisa, diesel by 5 paisa per litre by the government, which many feel is too little and too late.

Petrol in Delhi now costs Rs 78.35 a litre, down from Rs 78.42, according to a price notification issued by state-owned oil firms. Diesel rates have been cut to Rs 69.25 per litre from Rs 69.30.

In fact, on Wednesday first news came in that the government decided to reduce the prices of petrol and diesel by Rs 1 a litre each. Soon it turned out to be a hoax, as the government clarified that it was not Rs 1 but 1 paisa reduction on prices of both petrol and diesel.

The already harassed people of the nation took the news with a pinch of salt not knowing how to react. As Congress president Rahul Gandhi called the government's "largesse" as a "prank", commoners felt the Narendra Modi government played a cruel joke on them.

In its defence, Union petroleum minister Dharmendra Pradhan said, "Since we moved to the mechanism of daily price change, prices have gone up and down by 1 paisa, 12 paise, 27 paise, etc. It is not for the first time that there has been a change of 1 paisa. However, today one of our employees made a mistake and we accept it."

Pradhan, who welcomed the move of Kerala government to reduce the prices of petrol and diesel, did not give any assurance whether the Centre is planning to announce substantial cut in fuel prices in the coming days.

"I welcome it. One must also note that Kerala is one of the highest tax-collecting states and when we appealed (for fuel price cut), their finance minister gave negative statement, but now they took the responsibility. I thank them for it," he added.

Meanwhile, users of social media decided to keep their chin up by engaging in humour and sarcasm. Many say in such difficult times where everything has become very expensive, even laughter does not last for long.

On Wednesday, the hashtag--#EkPaiseKiSarkar--to attack the Modi government was trending on Twitter. Here we bring you some of the funniest jokes shared by Twitterati which helped all to laugh a bit at the expense of commoners' plight. Hope it will help you to get some relief from your daily woes too.