Former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath on Monday hit out at the Central government for hiking fuel prices by stating that such “absurd decisions” would push people during the COVID-19 pandemic into further distress.
The continuously rising petrol-diesel prices, said Mr. Nath, even during the pandemic, was a double-whammy of inflation to the public. “Today is the time to provide relief, but people are not being given any.”
Mr. Nath directed all city and district Congress committee presidents to protest against the hike at district/city/block party headquarters at 11 a.m. tomorrow by involving party office-bearers, workers, affiliated organisations and MLAs. Besides, workers will also demand local employment opportunities for migrant workers.
Centre insensitive to fuel prices hike: Congress
For the past three months, said Mr. Nath, the economic activity in the State had remained completely stopped. “The working class, having lost their employment and businesses, is sitting at homes while facing an acute financial crisis. They are expecting support from the Central and the State governments,” he said.
Mr. Nath added that “because of the absurd decisions of the BJP government at the Centre, they are being forced to face further distress.”
He claimed the government was making profits by hiking prices, and was inflicting inflation on the public. “Petrol and diesel prices are almost the same now. In the past 16 days, petrol prices have been hiked by ₹8.3 and diesel by ₹9.46 a litre.”
