New Delhi: Attacking the Centre over the continuing rise in fuel prices, opposition leader Sharad Yadav said on Thursday that people were already angry with it due to “mishandling” of the COVID-19 situation and the steady jump in petrol and diesel rates has added to their woes.
“The government has added fuel to the fire by increasing the prices of petrol and diesel due to which the BJP-led NDA will have to pay for it in the ensuing Bihar elections. Its mishandling of the issue of migrant labourers and students after an unplanned lockdown is still afresh in people’s minds,” he said in a statement.
He appealed to the government to roll back the increase in fuel prices.
The Loktantrik Janata Dal leader said small establishments and industries have been closed and crores of people have become jobless due to the economic meltdown caused by the pandemic, and the increase in prices of petrol and diesel is an injustice to the masses.
Taking a dig at the Modi government, Yadav said any government is elected to do good for the public, but this dispensation is doing reverse.
In 2014, the excise duty on diesel was Rs 3.56 and on petrol Rs 9.40 per litre, which has now been increased by 10 times to Rs 31.83 and Rs 32.98 per litre by this government, he said.
Today the situation is that diesel has become costlier than petrol in the national capital, he added.
“It is a universal truth that the prices of petrol and diesel in particular have a direct impact on the prices of all commodities of daily use which adversely affect the budget of every citizen,” Yadav said.
