As part of nationwide 'Bharat Bandh' called by the Congress party over steep rise in diesel and petrol prices and decreasing value of the rupee, Delhi Congress on Sunday announced to organise a protest on Monday.
Holding the BJP Government responsible for the rise in fuel prices, Delhi Congress president Ajay Maken alleged that it kept on raising excise duty on fuel even as international crude oil prices have come down.
"The party demanded that petrol and diesel should be brought under Goods and Services Tax (GST), by which oil prices could drop by about Rs 15 to Rs 18," he said.
He said from 2014 to now, excise duty on petrol has risen by 211.7 per cent and 433 per cent on diesel. The excise duty on petrol was Rs 9.2 per litre in 2014 and it has gone up to Rs 19.48 per litre. Similarly, the excise duty on diesel was Rs 3.46 per litre and today it stands at Rs 15.33 per litre," "I appeal all the party workers to make the bandh violence-free. We are Mahatma Gandhi's party and we should not associate ourselves with any violence," he said.
Maken also alleged that the government has collected Rs 11 crore as excise duty by "burdening" people and "robbing them". Meanwhile, the party staged a protest in parts of the city against alleged irregularities in the deal for Rafale aircraft and illegal sealing of non-polluting household industries in the national capital on Sunday.
Senior Congress leader including party president Ajay Maken also attended the rally organised in areas of Rampura, Tri Nagar and Chandni Chowk under second phase of 'Nyay Yudh' to oppose sealing drive in the city.
Addressing party workers, Maken hold the BJP ruled municipal corporations and the Aam Aadmi Party led Delhi Government directly responsible for the illegal sealing of household industries. He also said that people are fed up with the sealing drive leaving Delhi.
The party also organised in areas of Kirari, Raja Garden and Tilak Nagar to protest against alleged scam in the deal of Rafale aircraft.
Alleging the move of the centre for not releasing the commercial price of the aircraft citing a secrecy clause are lies, Maken said during the Congress-led 'United Progressive Alliance' Government, disclosed the cost of the defence deals in Parliament.
Former party MLA Mukesh Sharma announced that the third phase of the 'Nyay Yudh' would begin soon in which a series of protests and rallies would be organised.
He also said that the party will soon meet the Lieutenant Governor over the sealing issue.