Roll back petrol, diesel prices to Aug 2004 level, bring them under GST: Congress to govt
New Delhi: With prices of petrol and diesel being raised for the eighth day in a row, the Congress on Sunday demanded the recent increases be rolled back and petroleum products be brought under the GST regime.
The rates of petrol, diesel and LPG should be reduced to their August 2004 levels as crude oil being sold at a rate prevalent at that time, Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said in a statement.
He asked the Modi dispensation why petrol and diesel were being sold at a much higher rates when crude oil prices have gone down to USD 40 a barrel.
"Will Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his government explain why petrol and diesel that cost less than Rs 20 per litre to India, is being sold at steep rates of Rs 75.78 per litre for petrol and Rs 74.03 per litre for diesel," he asked.
"The Congress Party demands that the benefit of reduced international crude oil prices should be passed on to the people and the rates of petrol, diesel, LPG be reduced to August 2004 level and petrol and diesel should be brought under the GST," he said.
Surjewala also demanded that the 12 hikes in excise duty by the Modi government since May 2014 on petroleum products should be withdrawn immediately until it is brought under the Goods and Services Tax (GST) regime.
Petrol and diesel prices have been hiked by Rs 4.52 per litre and Rs 4.64 per litre respectively during the last eight days despite crude oil prices being benign, he said.
The Congress leader said while Indians are battling the coronavirus pandemic and the poor, migrants, farmers, small businessmen and those who lost their jobs struggling to survive the economic ruin, instead of reducing their burden the "anti-people" BJP government is fleecing the people by not just raising fuel rates on daily basis but also refusing to share benefits of lower crude with people.
He said the Modi government must reduce the prices of petrol, diesel and LPG to the August 2004 level as the current crude oil prices of around USD 40 US is of August 2004 level.
In August 2004, petrol was Rs 36.81 per litre, diesel Rs 24.16 and LPG Rs 261.60 per cylinder in Delhi, but currently petrol is being sold at Rs 75.78 per litre, diesel at Rs 74.03 per litre and LPG at Rs 593 per cylinder.
"The government must immediately rollback the excise duty hike of Rs 23.78 on petrol and Rs 28.37 on diesel," he said, noting that excise duty on petrol was Rs 9.20 per litre and on diesel it was Rs 3.46 per litre in May, 2014 when the Narendra Modi government assumed office.
Surjewala alleged that between 2014-15 and 2019-20, the Modi government has hiked taxes on petrol and diesel 12 times and has collected a whopping Rs 17,80,056 crore.
When the people are reeling under difficult conditions, the government has no right to further burden them under high taxation, he said.
Surjewala said if the Modi government rolls back the increases in excise duty during its tenure, petrol and diesel prices will come down to less than Rs 50 per litre.
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UDF leaders see local body poll trends as pointer to 2026 Assembly elections in Kerala
Thiruvananthapuram (PTI): Buoyed by the strong performance of the Congress-led UDF in the local body polls, KPCC president Sunny Joseph said on Saturday that the front's results indicated the people had rejected the LDF government.
According to early trends, the UDF was leading in more grama panchayats, block panchayats, municipalities and corporations than the LDF.
The local body polls were held in two phases in the state earlier this week.
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Speaking to reporters here, Joseph said the people of Kerala had extended their support to the UDF.
"We could expose the LDF government’s anti-people stance and the people understood it. The LDF’s fake propaganda was rejected by the people. The UDF is moving towards a historic victory," he said.
He said a united effort, proper preparations, good candidate selection and hard work had resulted in the Congress and the UDF’s victory in the elections.
Asked about the prospects in the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation, Joseph said the party was studying the matter and would comment later.
LDF convenor T P Ramakrishnan said the results would be closely examined.
According to him, the government had done everything possible for the people.
"Why such a verdict happened will be examined at the micro level. People’s opinion will be considered and further steps will be taken," he said.
He added that decisions would be taken after analysing the results. "If any corrective measures are required, we will initiate them and move forward," he said.
AICC leader K C Venugopal said the results showed that people had begun ousting those who, he alleged, were responsible for the loss of gold at Lord Ayyappa’s temple.
"This trend will continue in the Assembly elections as well. It is an indication that the people are ready to bring down the LDF government," he said.
Venugopal said the UDF had registered victories even in CPI(M) and LDF strongholds.
"I congratulate all UDF workers for their hard work. Congress workers and leaders worked unitedly," he said.
Referring to remarks made by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan against the Congress on polling day, Venugopal said the voters had responded through the verdict.
"I do not know whether the chief minister understands that the people are against him. Otherwise, he does not know the sentiment of the people. The state government cannot move an inch further," he said.
He said the results indicated a strong comeback for the UDF in Kerala.
Asked whether the Sabarimala gold loss issue had affected the LDF in the local polls, Venugopal said the CM and the CPI(M) state secretary did not take the issue seriously.
"We took a strong stand on the matter. The BJP played a foul game in it," he alleged.
On the BJP's role in the local body elections, Venugopal alleged that the party operated with the CPI(M) 's tacit support.
"The CPI(M) supported the central government on issues such as PM-SHRI, labour codes and corruption in national highway construction. The CPI(M) is facing ideological decline, and the state government’s policies are against the party’s own decisions," he said.
Meanwhile, LDF ally Kerala Congress (M) leader Jose K Mani said the party could not win all the wards it had expected in the elections.
He congratulated winners from all parties and said the party would closely examine the losses and identify shortcomings. "Later, we will take corrective measures," he added.
Senior Congress leader and MP Rajmohan Unnithan said the trends in the local body elections indicated that the UDF would return to power in the 2026 Assembly elections.
"We will win 111 seats as in 1977 and return to power in 2026. The anti-government sentiment of the people is reflected in the elections," he said.
Unnithan said the people were disturbed and unhappy with the present government.
"The trend indicates the end of the LDF government," he added.
CPI(M) MLA M M Mani said the people had shown ingratitude towards the LDF despite benefiting from welfare schemes.
"After receiving all welfare schemes and living comfortably, people voted against us due to some temporary sentiments. Is that not ingratitude," he asked.
Mani said no such welfare initiatives had taken place in Kerala earlier.
"People are receiving pensions and have enough to eat. Even after getting all this, they voted against us. This is what can be called ingratitude," he said.
Muslim League state president Panakkad Sayyid Sadiq Ali Shihab Thangal said the results were beyond expectations.
"The outcome points towards the Secretariat in Thiruvananthapuram, indicating that a change of government is imminent. We are going to win the Assembly election," he said.
