The Congress has criticised the frequent hike in the prices of petroleum products like diesel and petrol.
Congress Working Committee member and senior party leader Pramod Tiwari said Sunday was a Black Day for the people of the country as the prices of petrol and diesel had been increased for the fourth time in a week by the Bharatiya Janata Party regime.
He said the retail price of petrol was Rs 92.28 per litre in Mumbai on Sunday and of diesel Rs 82.40 per litre while the price of crude oil in international market was only 52.21 USD per barrel.
Tiwari claimed that on the basis of the crude oil price, petrol could be priced at Rs 36 per litre but the oil companies were charging Rs 60 more from the consumers.
He said the hike in petrol price was only benefitting the big industrial houses like Adani and others.
However, it may be mentioned that the business interests of the Adani group do not include petroleum products.
Tiwari accused the BJP government of betraying the people, saying that during the election, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had promised to cap the price of petrol at Rs 25 per litre.
He said the exorbitant hike in the price of diesel had added to the woes of the people who were already reeling under the devastating impact of the coronavirus pandemic.
The Congress leader said the hike in diesel price had a multiplier effect as it led to a hike in transport cost which fueled the fire of inflation.
Tiwari also lashed out at BJP MP Shakshi Maharaj for claiming that Congress was behind the "murder" of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose. He said the BJP MP's statement was an insult to the martyrdom of Netaji.
The Congress leader said the BJP MP seemed to have lost his mental balance as he was not aware of the historical facts that during the British period, Netaji suffered injuries on foreign soil during an air crash.
He said an inquiry commission was set up to investigate the incident and matter was also heard by the Supreme Court but none in the history leveled such a dirty allegation as made by the BJP leader.
