Oppn demands rollback of fuel price hike; seeks PM's statement

The Opposition on Monday demanded a rollback in the hike in prices of fuel and cooking gas and sought a statement from Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the floor of the House over the issue.

The Opposition members also dismissed the contention of the government that the rise in prices was due to the Russia-Ukraine war.

Raising the issue during the Zero Hour in Lok Sabha, Congress' leader in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said the common people are in distress with "their pockets being looted" due to the rising prices.

"Our party chief Sonia Gandhi has decided that we will run a Mehngai-mukt Bharat Abhiyaan' in the country because the prices of petrol, diesel, CNG, PNG are continuously rising," he said.

Chowdhury also raised the issue of over 800 drugs under the National List of Essential Medicines (NLEM) set for a price hike from April, to attack the government.

"They are contending that due to the Russia-Ukraine war, prices are rising. This is not true, as we import about 0.5 per cent oil from Russia. This government in the last about 8 years has earned 26 lakh crore (in excise duty on petrol and diesel)," he said.

"They say we have brought 'achche din' but for the common people there cannot be more 'bure din' than this. That is why we demand that the rise in prices be rolled back and a debate on this issue be held in this House," Chowdhury said.

The Congress will keep raising its voice both inside and outside Parliament for a Mehngai-mukt Bharat', he asserted.

DMK leader T R Baalu said the salaried class is the section most affected by the price rise and pointed out that in order to address the issue, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin had reduced Rs 3 per litre on petrol at the very outset.

Baalu wondered how come prices of petrol and diesel have increased by Rs 4 in the past one week alone.

This is not fair on the part of this government," he said during the Zero Hour.

During the elections, Prime Minister Modi had said prices of petrol and diesel will be reduced by 50 per cent, how come he is silent now, Baalu said.

"For the past one week entire India is under fire. They have earned Rs 26 lakh crore in taxes over the last seven years. They should do it the way the UPA government did when it gave Rs 10 lakh crore as subsidy and kept prices of petrol under check.

"Otherwise let them bring back administered price mechanism," Baalu said calling for an immediate reduction in fuel prices.

Also in Zero Hour, TMC's Sudip Bandyopadhyay said the issue of price hike of petrol, diesel, and cooking gas has concerned the whole House.

Price rise was kept in abeyance due to elections but the common man knew that they will skyrocket again following the polls, and that apprehension has come true, he said.

"This issue should be discussed in the House and we want to hear from the prime minister, where this will stop," the TMC leader said.

Earlier, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla declined the opposition's demand for a discussion on the issue of fuel price hike after suspending the Question Hour, saying he would give them enough time and opportunities to raise the matter during the Zero Hour.

Petrol price on Monday was hiked by 30 paise a litre and diesel by 35 paise, taking the total increase in rates in the last one week to Rs 4-4.10 per litre.

This is the sixth increase in fuel prices since the ending on March 22 of a four-and-half-month-long hiatus in rate revision.

In the first four occasions, prices were increased by 80 paise a litre -- the steepest single-day rise since the daily price revision was introduced in June 2017. On Sunday, petrol price went up by 50 paise a litre, and diesel by 55 paise.

In all, petrol prices have gone up by Rs 4 per litre and diesel by Rs 4.10.

Earlier this month, domestic cooking gas LPG rates were increased by Rs 50 per cylinder.