Communist Party of India (Marxist) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury on Sunday lashed out at the Centre over the hike in petroleum prices and termed it an “attack on the labour class and poor” on the Labour Day.

Notably, the price of a 19-kg commercial LPG cylinder has been increased by Rs 102.50 on Sunday, which now costs Rs 2,355.50 against the earlier price of Rs 2,253. The 5-kg LPG cylinder is now priced at Rs 655.

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Speaking to ANI, Yechury said, “Today, when it is Labour Day and there is a new attack on the workers. Not only on the labourers but also on the working people of the entire country. The way central tax has increased in the last 7 years, is the main reason for the increase in the price of petroleum products.”

The CPI(M) leader alleged that the revenue of the centre increased manifold which is in contrast to that of the states.

“Data is in front of everyone that the revenue that the states get from the tax has not increased, it has decreased. The revenue of the centre has increased manifold. Even the Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman herself said inside the Parliament that in the last 3 years, Rs 8 lakh crore has come to the centre through taxes. We are demanding to remove the central taxes,” he said.

Hitting out at the government for the looming power in various parts of the country, Yechury questioned the Centre’s preparedness tactics to find a solution to the problem.

“They are using the railways to supply coal by shutting down passenger trains. What were you doing for so many days? Everyone knows that there is a shortage of coal in the summer days and preparations are made for it. Why had the government not prepared before?” he asked.

“The central government is irresponsible and there is no solution and even fail to analyse in its policies what kind of effects having on the lives of poor people,” Yechury added.

Talking about the ongoing loudspeaker row in the country, the CPI(M) leader said that it is a conspiracy to “spoil peace” with a motive to “intensify communal polarisation”.

“75 years have passed since independence and even before this such thing was going on peacefully. Now there is a conspiracy to spoil the peace. It has only one motive to intensify communal polarisation on the basis of hate, and violence and to divert the attention of people from basic issues like hunger, inflation, unemployment, and democratic rights,” he said.