Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge, on Monday slammed the Modi government over the rise in petrol, diesel, LPG cylinders and edible oil prices.
“The Centre has earned Rs 25 lakh crore from fuel tax in seven years. However, the money is not being used for the benefit of the common man. I will seek a reply from the Centre during the monsoon session of the Parliament, which will start from July 19,” he said.
Kharge said since the Modi government came to power, petrol and diesel prices have increased 326 times, while in the last two months they rose 38 times. “During the UPA government, the price of crude oil was $111 per barrel, while petrol was Rs 71 per litre. Now, under the Modi government, the price of crude oil has come down to $44 per barrel, but petrol is being sold at Rs 107 per litre. The price of LPG cylinder is now Rs 834, and the subsidy on gas has been reduced to zero in the last several months,” he said.
Kharge said Congress MP Rahul Gandhi had suggested that the Centre should deposit Rs 6,000 per month in the bank accounts of the public as per the NYAY scheme, but it was ridiculed. “The revenue generated through cess belongs to the Centre but the state governments do not get a single penny from it,” he said.
Kharge said pulses also got expensive by 12.72% every year. Sunflower oil became costlier by 56.31%, while soybean oil was up by 52.66%. “The public is being affected by this unjust rule of the Modi government and inflation has created more hardships for them,” he added.