The member of Congress Central Working Committee and Haryana legislator, Kuldeep Bishnoi on Wednesday said the daily increase in petrol and diesel prices since last 18 days has exposed the anti-poor stance of Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) government.
The real face of BJP had been exposed. The increase in the prices of oil had badly affected the poor, farmers and the people especially belonging to the middle income group, he said.
Bishnoi said during the last 18 days, the prices of petrol and diesel had shot up to Rs 8.53 and Rs 10.49 respectively. Thus the increase in the prices of petrol had been registered about 11.70 per cent in petrol and in case of diesel it had increased about 13.65 percent.
He remained that the crude oil prices in the international market in May 2014 were 106.85 per barrel per dollar and the petrol prices were Rs 75.16 per litre and now the crude oil prices in the international market had been reduced to 40 dollar per barrel and the consumers had to pay at the rate of Rs 79.76 per litre. According to the international market prices, the rate of petrol should be about Rs 32 per litre, Bishnoi said.
Taking a dig at the BJP government, he said the prices of petrol and diesel had also crossed the record of highest rate record of the last 20 months of its own government.
Bishnoi also criticised the statement of the Union minister of state for finance, Anurag Thakur that the prices of petrol and diesel would not be decreased. With this statement it appears that the prices of petrol and diesel would shoot up at the rate of Rs 100 per litre soon in near future, he said.
Bishnoi said it was the first time in the history of India that the prices of diesel had crossed from petrol, now as of today the diesel rate is 12 paise litre more than the petrol. During the Congress regime the rates of diesel used to be lower than petrol with a view to provide relief to the farmers as diesel being used in tractors. He urged the government to reduce the prices of petrol and diesel to rein the inflation.