Rahul Gandhi Slams Centre Over Fuel Price Hike

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday hit out at the government as petrol prices crossed Rs 100-a-litre mark in Delhi, charging that the Modi government runs on "tax extortion".

Petrol prices crossed the Rs 100-a-litre mark after fuel prices were increased in line with firming international oil trends.

"Your car may run on petrol or diesel, Modi government runs on tax extortion," Rahul Gandhi tweeted in Hindi, using hashtag 'TaxExtortion'.

In Delhi, petrol now costs Rs 100.21 a litre and diesel is priced at Rs 89.53 per litre.

Delhi is the last of the metro cities to see petrol rising above the Rs 100-a-litre mark. Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad, and Pune already have prices above that mark. Kolkata also saw petrol prices climbing over Rs 100 per litre on Wednesday.

The Congress party has also launched a 10-day nationwide protest against the fuel price hike and essential commodities.

The party in a statement said, "Moved by the plight of the people already suffering on account of the COVID pandemic, rampant unemployment and salary cuts, the Congress Party has decided to launch nationwide agitation programs at Block, District and State levels."

According to the programme schedule, all blocks within each district committee will organise protests maintaining Covid-19 protocols where the party workers will stage sit-in agitation for 2 hours and protest by taking out pots and pans with members of the Mahila Congress, the Youth Congress and other block-level organizations.

A cycle rally will be organized in cities and towns under District Congress Committees with participation from elected party representatives of municipal corporations and office bearers of DCC. The protests will be carried out with placards and slogans against rise in petrol and diesel prices.

Further, on July 17, a protest rally will be launched in Guwahati centrally, to be attended by APCC president, CLP leader, Assam MPs, MLAs, senior leaders, office bearers and members of the Congress party.

Signature campaign in petrol pumps under District Congress Committees will be another form of protest and awareness program against price rise of petrol and diesel, said Bobbeeta Sharma, chairperson of APCC's media department.

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