Rise in fuel price not in our hands: Ravi Shankar Prasad

New Delhi, Sep 10: Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said that the problem being faced by the people because of rising fuel prices were momentary and caused by global factors.

Ravi Shankar Prasad also hit out at the Congress and its allies, alleging that they resorted to violence during the Bharat Bandh due to lack of support from the masses. He told the media here that the hike in oil prices was caused by limited supply.

"We are standing with the people in their concern, but this is a problem whose solution is not in our hands," he said. The Modi government has worked a lot to bring down inflation and has achieved success as well, Prasad said, adding that inflation was 10.4 per cent between 2009-14 of UPA rule and is now 4.7 per cent.

Ravi Shankar Prasad also claimed that a two-year-old baby died in Bihar's Jehanabad, after an ambulance carrying her was caught in traffic jam, due to Bharat Bandh protests called by the Opposition against steep rise in fuel prices.

The union minister alleged that the Congress is creating an "atmosphere of fear" in the country. "Will Rahul Gandhi be responsible for the baby's death," said Mr Prasad, claiming that the Opposition's Bharat Bandh protests were not successful.

PTI