Fuel price hike: Cong to hold protests, submit memorandums to Prez

New Delhi: The Congress will hold a nationwide agitation on Monday against the rising prices of petrol and diesel and its MPs, MLAs and leaders will submit memorandums to President Ram Nath Kovind demanding a withdrawal of the hikes.

AICC General Secretary, In-charge for Organization, KC Venugopal said through the protest programmes, the party aims to underline the government’s “extortionist looting” of the common man during the COVID-19 crisis.

“In the following week, between June 30-July 4, the party will also conduct massive protests at the Taluk, Teshil and block levels,” Venugopal said.

For the last twenty-one consecutive day, the government has been increasing the price of petrol and diesel, in the process putting undue extra burden on the shoulders of the common people, he said in a statement.

The central government had “amassed” huge profits on account of exorbitantly increased central excise duties on petrol and diesel, even as prices of international crude have been at a record low, the Rajya Sabha MP alleged.

Rather than passing on the benefits of the low cost of procurement to the people, the government had deliberately kept the price high by increasing the excise duty, Venugopal said.

The protests by the party will include dharnas on June 29 from 11 am to 12 noon in front of central government offices across the country following social distancing protocols, under the auspices of PCCs and DCCs, he said.

Apart from this, party MPs, MLAs, office bearers, leaders and workers will submit memorandums to President Ram Nath Kovind seeking the withdrawal of hikes in the prices of petrol and diesel.

On the same day, the party will also hold a social media campaign called “Speak up on Petrol and Diesel Price Hike” to highlight the plights of farmers, taxi and bus owners, transporters, Ola and Uber drivers, labourers and the common people who suffer a cascading effect of such hikes, he said.