CPI(M) leader Brinda Karat attacks Centre over LPG price hike

Senior CPI(M) leader Brinda Karat on Friday lashed out at the Narendra Modi government for

the steep hike in prices of LPG cylinders and said the Centre was "pickpocketing" the savings of the common man.

She was addressing a press conference in Aurangabad in Maharashtra.

Cooking gas LPG price on Wednesday was hiked by a steep Rs 144.5 per cylinder due to spurt in benchmark global

rates of the fuel. But to insulate domestic users, the Union government

almost doubled the subsidy it provides on the fuel to keep per cylinder outgo almost unchanged.

LPG price was increased to Rs 858.50 per 14.2 kg cylinder from Rs 714 previously, which is the steepest hike in

rates since January 2014 when prices had gone up by Rs 220 per cylinder to Rs 1,241.

"With this hike in LPG cylinder prices, the Narendra Modi government is pickpocketing the savings of the common

man," she said. "The country ranks 102nd in the hunger index of 130

countries. Yet the Centre curtailed funds for food security by Rs 75,000 crore. Allocation for SC/STs, which should be 16 per

cent as per population, is merely 2-3 per cent under the Modi government," she added.

She attacked the Centre for planning to sell assets like Air India and Life Insurance Corporation.

Karat said the CPI(M) would hold door-to-door campaign against the Citizenship Amendment Act, the National Register

of Citizens, and the National Population Register as these moves are the Centre's "political trishul" to attack the

Constitution. "The Maharashtra government should clear its stand on

CAA, NRC and NPR," she demanded.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)