Mayawati flays Centre for anti-people move

Uttar Pradesh chief minister and ruling Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) president Mayawati criticised the Centre for petroleum price hike, terming it as ‘anti-people’.

Demanding immediate rollback of the hike, she noted the Centre had stoked inflation by allowing oil marketing companies (OMC) to fix petroleum prices.

She said under the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) rule, there had been 13 fuel price hikes and now petrol prices have touched Rs 70 per litre.

These companies are increasing the fuel prices at will, while the inflation was galloping, she added.

“Instead of providing succour to common man already suffering due to high inflation, the central government has once again made life difficult for them,” Mayawati said in her communiqué.

She reiterated that Congress policies had always been pro-capitalists and it appeared that the OMCs were taking cue from Congress to increase fuel prices.

Mayawati observed that with the recent hike, another round of increase in prices of diesel, liquefied petroleum gas and kerosene seemed imminent, which will again push the prices of essential commodities further up.