Second hike in 15 days: Congress slams Modi govt for fuel price hike, demands rollback

Lucknow, May 16: The Uttar Pradesh unit of the Congress on Saturday reacted sharply to the hike in petrol and diesel prices and slammed the Narendra Modi-led central government for "adding more burden" on the common man.

Transport fuel prices were hiked effective Friday midnight by Rs.3.13 per litre for petrol and by Rs.2.71 a litre for diesel, including state levies, state-owned oil marketing companies (OMCs) said.

Uttar Pradesh Congress president Nirmal Khatri said the farmers are already reeling under the impact of unseasonal rainfall and hailstorms and will now face more problems with the hike in diesel prices.

"Is this what the prime minister meant by acche din (good days)," Khatri said.

He added that the Congress will oppose the fuel price hike tooth and nail.

He also demanded a rollback of the hike and pointed out that when international prices were down from what they were during the UPA regime, then why were prices being hiked domestically.

Leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislature party in the legislative council, Hriday Narayan Dixit however accused the Congress of "shedding crocodile tears" over the fuel price hike and said that the Congress should have also noted and commented on the several occasions when fuel prices were slashed in the last one year.

"People of India know that the Modi government is working relentlessly for their good, well being and welfare," the BJP leader commented.

IANS