Robbing Peter to pay Paul

With reference to the news report “Don’t exploit the country, keep price below Rs 40k a tonne: Govt to steel firms” (September 17), the government has recently taken steps to ringfence the steel industry from the onslaught of cheaper imports as it is of the considered view that India can’t be used as a dumping ground and a balance has thus to be constantly maintained. How come then that the BJP-led NDA govt has constantly been “exploiting” the hapless common man by hiking the petrol prices across the country?

Ministers are publicly justifying the same even when engaged in the act of robbing Peter to pay Paul. However, the government should not underestimate the power of the common man. Mind you, nothing is permanent here which obviously includes the people mandated political power centres.

Kumar Gupt Panchkula

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