Cong planning nationwide protest against soaring fuel prices: Chennithala

The Congress is planning anationwide protest against the increasing fuel prices, seniorparty leader Ramesh Chennithala said here on Friday as heattacked the BJP-led government at the Centre over the soaringprices of diesel and petrol.

The Leader of Opposition in the Kerala Assembly, whois leading the 'Aiswarya Kerala Yatra' to prepare the groundfor Congress-led UDF ahead of the Assembly polls, urged thecentre and state governments to lower the excise duty ondiesel and petrol to ease the burden on the people.

''The Congress is planning an all India protest, ifthe prices of fuel continue to soar on an uncontrolled level,''Chennithala told reporters here as he commenced today's yatrain Ernakulam district.

He alleged that the BJP-led government at the Centreand the LDF government in Kerala were indulging inprofiteering instead of passing on benefits of low prices ofcrude oil to consumers by reducing the hiked rates ofpetrol-diesel-LPG gas.

The senior Congress leader said when the UPAgovernment was in power, price of crude oil was USD 108 perbarrel, but petrol and diesel was sold at a subsidised rate atRs 71.41 and Rs 55.49 per litre.

''Now, the crude oil price is far less than thehalf of UPA rates but the Narendra Modi-led government hasincreased the prices of petrol-diesel sky high,'' Chennithalasaid.

He also urged the CPI(M)-led government inKerala to reduce the tax levies on fuel to provide relief tothe people of the state hit by the COVID-19 pandemic.

On Thursday, petrol price in the nationalcapital closed in on record Rs 88 per litre mark while dieselneared Rs 85 in Mumbai after rates across the country werehiked for the third day in a row.

Rates vary from state to state depending on thelocal incidence of taxation (VAT) and freight.