Congress slams Narendra Modi for rise in non-subsidised cooking gas price, says govt looting people in name of fuel

New Delhi: As the government increased the price of non-subsidised cooking gas by Rs 35.50 per cylinder in Delhi, the Congress on Tuesday said the Narendra Modi government is looting the people in the name of fuel by launching another assault on them.

“Modi government’s greed is making everyone’s budget bleed. LPG customers are suffering under the greedy Modi government. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is cruel, they loot in the name of fuel,” said Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala.

“Even as high petrol and diesel prices were singeing the budgets of common people, farmers and middle class, the Modi government again launched a midnight assault on the people by hiking the price of LPG cylinders.

“BJP government has already earned a humongous Rs 10 lakh crore in taxes on fuel prices,” the Congress leader said.

Surjewala said: “People are distressed due to price rise and their hard earned savings are being evaporated due to the greed of the Modi government. Why is BJP government profiteering from their savings and inflicting an unbearable burden on their incomes?”

“The promise of ‘Acche Din’ has turned out to be the biggest hoax which Prime Minister Narendra Modi has played on the people of India. We demand that fuel prices must be brought under the GST ambit,” he added.

The price of non-subsidised LPG cooking gas will be hiked by Rs 35.50 per cylinder in New Delhi, and that of the subsidised one by a marginal Rs 1.76, effective August 1.

According to Indian Oil Corporation, the increase in prices of non-subsidised LPG cylinder is mainly due to changes in international prices and foreign exchange fluctuations.

Effectively, the price of the subsidised cylinder will increase to Rs 498.02 per in August 2018 from Rs 496.26 per in July 2018.