Karnataka Congress leaders slam petrol, diesel price hike

As the BJP-led Union government effected the fourth hike in prices of petrol and diesel in less than two weeks, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah was among the Congress leaders flaying the decision on Monday. Congress is likely to stage protests across the State against the rise in petrol and diesel prices.

After the fourth round of increases, the price of petrol and diesel in Bengaluru stands at ₹110.93 and ₹98.89, respectively. The total increase comes up to ₹7.52 on petrol and diesel.

Accusing the Union government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi of “looting” the people since assuming power, Mr. Siddaramaiah told presspersons, “Never in the history of the country have prices of petroleum products increased like this. Lives of the middle class and the common man have become difficult, and people are struggling due to price rise.”

He said that the consumer did not benefit when the price of crude in international market was lower.

Accusing the Centre of imposing financial burden on the people, Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar said, “The Congress government, through guarantee schemes, is reducing the financial burden. Imagine what would happen if there were no guarantee schemes. The Centre is collecting a cess of about ₹1,000 crores daily from petroleum products.”

He slammed BJP leaders — R. Ashok, Leader of Opposition, and BJP president B.Y. Vijayendra — as “shameless” for asking the State, instead of the Centre, to reduce taxes on fuel. He said that a protest will be staged in every Assembly constituency.

Congress general secretary in charge of Karnataka, Randeep Singh Surjewala, said that the Centre was now dipping into the RBI’s emergency reserve fund, and has taken ₹2.87 lakh crores. In the last 12 years, the Narendra Modi-led government has taken ₹14 lakh crores from the RBI, he added. He called the manner in which taxes have been collected on petrol and diesel in the last 12 years “organised robbery”.