Rahul Gandhi, one of the top figures of Congress, India’s main opposition party, launched a political attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party-led government following a rise in fuel prices. Taking to Twitter, Gandhi said that people in India are suffering due to inflation, while the Modi government is busy with tax collection. The jibe from the former Congress chief came a day after petrol and diesel prices in the country touched an all-time high after rates were increased the fourth time in a week. As per the data, the increase has driven the petrol price in the national capital up to INR 85.70 ($1.17) per litre and INR 92.28 ($1.26) in Mumbai. Meanwhile, Diesel rates climbed to INR 75.88 ($1.04) a litre in Delhi and INR 82.66 ($1.13) per litre in Mumbai following the hike. “The Modi government has earned Rs. 20,00,000 crore in the last six and a half years by increasing the excise duty on petrol and diesel alone, Ajay Maken of Congress alleged in a press conference on Sunday. “The most important question now is where has this more than Rs 20 lakh crore gone,” he said. “What is more shocking is that during the Congress’ regime when we left power in May 2014, the international crude oil was USD 108 per barrel, but petrol and diesel prices were at Rs 71.51 and Rs 57.28 per litre respectively, which have increased to Rs 85.70 and Rs 75.88 in Delhi today despite the crude oil prices coming down to half of that time,” Makan said at a media briefing. “Has it gone in the pockets of Mr (Narendra) Modi’s crony capitalist friends. This is what the Congress wants to know from the government,” Maken asked. “If we decrease the excise duty hike affected by the Modi government on petrol and diesel i.e. Rs 23.78 and Rs 28.37, prices will come down to Rs 61.92 (petrol) and Rs 47.51 (diesel),” he said. “So the central government must immediately withdraw the central excise duty hike that it has charged in the last over six years and the petrol prices should come down to Rs 61.92 and diesel to Rs 47.51,” Makan said, hitting out at the government over the fuel prices touching an “all-time high”.
