Congress to run three-phase campaign against price rise from March 31 to April 7

In the first phase of the campaign, Congress workers and common people will protest outside their houses and at public places on March 31

The decision to launch the agitation was taken at a meeting of Congress general secretaries and state in-charges here on Saturday. The meeting also discussed the membership drive of the party and the current political situation in the country. Credit: PTI Photo

Congress will organise a series of programmes against price rise under 'Mehangai Mukt Bharat Abhiyan', beginning with party workers and the public on Thursday protesting outside their homes and public places across the country with garlanded gas cylinders and banging of 'thaalis' (plates) and bells.

Between April 2 and 4, dharnas and marches will be held at the district level and will culminate with similar protests at state capitals. The agitation programme was decided at a meeting of party General Secretaries and in-charges here with the approval of Congress president Sonia Gandhi.

Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala told a press conference that the people of India have been "betrayed, duped and deceived" by the Narendra Modi government.

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"After keeping the prices of petrol, diesel, LPG, Piped Natural Gas (PNG) and CNG unchanged for 137 days to secure the votes of people, the last one week has been a nightmare for every household. Every day increase in prices of petrol and diesel as the also cumbersome increase in prices of LPG, PNG and CNG has proved the dictum for the Modi government, which is to fleece the people, fill the coffers," he said.

Within five days, he said, there have been four hikes totalling Rs 3.20 per litre for petrol and diesel.

Surjwala alleged that the extent of extortion and profiteering by repeated increases in prices and excise duty on petrol and diesel has surpassed all forms of exploitation since the Covid-19 lockdown. "On 22 March 2020, petrol and diesel rates were Rs 69.59 and Rs 62.29 respectively, which have been raised to Rs 98.61 and Rs 89.87 per litre respectively, which is an increase of Rs 29.02 for petrol and Rs 27.58 for diesel only in last two years," he said.

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Surjewala said that the BJP government has increased the excise duty on petrol by Rs 18.70 per litre and on diesel by Rs 18.34 per litre in recent years. In May 2014 when the BJP assumed power, he said, the excise duty on petrol was Rs 9.20 per litre and on diesel was Rs 3.46 per litre.

He also said the Modi government has earned Rs 26 lakh crore in eight years by increasing excise duty on petrol and diesel alone.

"When the UPA government was in power, the price of crude oil was at USD 108 per barrel, but petrol and diesel was at Rs 71.41 and Rs 55.49 per litre respectively, which have now been increased to Rs 98.61 and Rs 89.87 in Delhi," he said.

Official figures of the Petroleum Planning and Analysis Cell (PPAC) showed that in 2011-12, the UPA Government gave a subsidy of Rs 1.42 lakh crore on petrol, diesel and LPG while it was Rs 1.64 lakh crore in 2012-13 and Rs 1.47 lakh crore in 2013-14, he said.

However, he said, the Modi government "drastically reduced this amount to Rs 27,301 crore in 2016-17 and Rs 28,384 crore in 2017-18 and Rs 43,718 crore in 2018-19, Rs 26,482 crore in 2019-20 and for 2020-21 this amount was reduced to a paltry sum of Rs 11,729 crore for giving relief under all subsidies".

The LPG cylinder prices have gone up from Rs 410 per cylinder in 2014 to Rs 949.50 in Delhi and over Rs 1,000 in most cities. In eight years, the Modi government has increased the price of domestic LPG cylinders by Rs 539.50, he added.

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