Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut (Express Photo by Ganesh Shirsekar)
Slamming Prime Minister Narendra Modi over rising fuel prices, Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut, in his weekly column Rokhthok in Saamana, said that if the former’s foreign tours are stopped, the fuel prices would reduce.
“India is reeling under debt and there is a scarcity of foreign currency. But the Prime Minister’s foreign tours haven’t stopped. It is sad that the public is paying taxes by tolerating the price rise, but Modi continues with his foreign tours,” said Raut, executive editor of Saamana, the Shiv Sena’s mouthpiece.
“Earlier, the President used to go on foreign tours. Now, the PM is doing the foreign tours of the President and External Affairs Minister. While people are purchasing petrol at Rs 100, Modi is flying from Russia to America. The people should now oppose the Prime Minister’s foreign tours and a campaign should be started on social media… The public should take a stand that no foreign tours for the PM and other ministers unless petrol prices are brought down to Rs 50,” Raut added, stating that people are “hypnotised” by Modi, and some people feel buying petrol at Rs 100 amounts to “nationalism”.
The Sena MP further asked how much foreign investment has come into India. The reality is that foreign investors and industrialists are mum about India, Raut added. He said that only a few rich people can buy the petrol in our country. “The friendship with Putin (Russian President) or Trump (American President) is not going to reduce prices. American companies control the oil stock in Iraq. Is Trump going to hand over some of the oil stock to his friend Modi?” asked the parliamentarian.
Referring to the government’s stand that fuel prices in India are linked to crude oil prices in the international market, Raut said, “Crude oil prices started falling in last four years, but the government didn’t bring down fuel prices. The government kept filling its coffers… and PM continued his foreign tours….”