Congress holds protest against fuel price hike in Assam

Reducing Rs 5 on petrol-dieseljust before elections in Assam is a hoax, said Dev whileaddressing the protest in Hojai.The assembly election in the state is due in April-May.Protsts took place in Cachar, Dibrugarh, East KarbiAnglong, Biswanath, South Salmara, Karimganj, Majuli, Nalbari,Darrang, Hailakandi, Sonitpur, Barpeta, Guwahati, Nagaon,Golaghat, Jorhat and Lakhimpur districts.The base price of petrol is Rs 33.46 per litre andthat of diesel is Rs 31.82 per litre.

The Congress on Sunday carriedout protests against rising fuel prices in nearly two dozenpetrol depots in several districts of Assam and slammed theBJP-led central governments at the Centre and the state.

Party workers marched in a procession to the petroldepots against the steep rise in prices of petroleum products.

Former union minister and AICC general secretary MukulWasnik, All India Mahila Congress president Sushmita Dev,Assam Congress chief Ripun Bora and other leaders like PradyutBordoloi, Gaurav Gogoi, Debabrata Saikia and Rakibul Hussainled the protests in the districts.

The leaders and hundreds of Congress workers heldplacards and shouted slogans against Prime Minister NarendraModi, Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal and state FinanceMinister Himanta Biswa Sarma for failing to contain theprices.

The Congress has been demanding that tax on petrol anddiesel be reduced and the common people given relief in pricesof fuel.

''The so-called 'double engine' BJP governments arefooling the people of Assam. Reducing Rs 5 on petrol-dieseljust before elections in Assam is a hoax,'' said Dev whileaddressing the protest in Hojai.

The assembly election in the state is due in April-May.

Protsts took place in Cachar, Dibrugarh, East KarbiAnglong, Biswanath, South Salmara, Karimganj, Majuli, Nalbari,Darrang, Hailakandi, Sonitpur, Barpeta, Guwahati, Nagaon,Golaghat, Jorhat and Lakhimpur districts.

''The base price of petrol is Rs 33.46 per litre andthat of diesel is Rs 31.82 per litre. However, the common manis forced to pay Rs 87 per litre for petrol and Rs 82 perlitre for diesel in Assam. The BJP is simply looting thepeople in the name of taxes,'' Bora said at Hojai.

Bordoloi, a Lok Sabha MP, questioned the BJP-ledgovernment on what basis does it decide on the prices ofpetroleum products every day and the explanation for''subjecting people of Assam to this cruelty''.

''BJP Govt is mercilessly looting the public with hikedfuel prices, especially during a raging pandemic! I want toask why is this hike in petrol and diesel prices wheninternational crude oil prices are low?'' said Gogoi.

Petrol price has already surged past the Rs 100-markin some places in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, which levy thehighest VAT on the fuel.