Sonia Gandhi writes to PM Modi, demands immediate roll back amid fuel price hikes

On the tenth consecutive day of price hike in petrol and diesel, the Congress president made a scathing remark on the development and wrote a letter to the Prime Minister Narendra Modi, asking the government to roll back the recent price hike.

In the letter, she wrote, "I am deeply distressed that in these exceedingly difficult times since the beginning of March, the government has taken the wholly insensitive decision to increase petrol and diesel prices on no less than ten separate occasions." "Your government is seeking to earn an additional revenue of nearly Rs 2,60,000 crore by these ill-advised hikes in excise duty and increases in the petrol of diesel. As it is, people across the board are facing unimaginable hardships what to say of widespread fear and insecurity," the Congress chief said.

"These price increases are saddling our people with an additional burden of this enormous magnitude that is neither justified nor appropriate. It is the duty and responsibility of the government to alleviate suffering, not put the people to still greater hardship," she added.

The Congress raised questions on the reason behind such an increase at a time when the economic impact of COVID-19 is "depriving millions of jobs and livelihood, devastating business big and small, rapidly eroding the income" of the middle class, even as farmers are struggling to sow the crop for the Kharif season. She urged an immediate roll back of the hike. 

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About the price hike

At the moment, data from Indian Oil Corporation's website showed that the petrol price in Delhi has gone up to Rs 76.73 per litre, while diesel is now retailing at Rs 75.19 per litre. The price of ATF was increased by a whopping 16.3 per cent in Delhi. It will now cost Rs 39,069.87 per kilolitre (kl) after a rise of Rs 5,494.5 per kl. It may be noted that the rates of ATF will vary from state to state depending on local sales tax. This is happening while the crude oil prices are at a low globally. People have been struggling with the price hike on the ground as they have been complaining about it constantly.

Read: Petrol price hiked by 48 paise/litre, diesel by 23 paise; ninth straight day of increase