Fuel price hike surgical strike on common man: Congress

Nizamabad: District Congress president Manala Mohan Reddy said the Central government has carried out a surgical strike on the common man with fuel price hikes.

The Congress leaders and workers staged a dharna against the increase in petrol, diesel and LPG prices at Dharna Chowk in Nizamabad on Friday.

Speaking on the occasion, Manala Mohan Reddy said that ordinary people are facing difficulties due to the increase in fuel prices. He said that the Central government has been increasing the fuel prices for the past two days. He accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of cheating the people by not hiking the fuel prices for six months because of the polls in 5 States. But when the elections are over the prices of petrol, diesel and LPG were increased, he added.

He reminded that the price of cooking gas was Rs 350 during the Congress rule before 2014 but now it is Rs 1,050 under the BJP government. He said the Modi government was attacking the livelihood of the common man by increasing the LPG price by Rs 650 per cylinder. He said the BJP government would one day face the ire of the common man.

Modi had slashed the petrol and diesel prices by Rs 10 a liter few months ago due to elections in Uttar Pradesh. He said the two-rupee hike came just two days after the election. He alleged that Modi was looking at increasing it to ten rupees in one month. He urged the people of the district to protest against the fuel price hike. He demanded the Centre to reduce the prices of fuel immediately.

He lamented that when the Central government raises petrol, diesel and cooking gas prices, the TRS-led State government simultaneously raised prices on everything. He explained that if the electricity bill was Rs 100 for an ordinary family before 2014, today it would be R 1,000. He said there was news that the State government had given permission to increase the electricity bills and the Congress party would oppose it.