Senior Congress leaders are meeting on Thursday to chalk out a road map for a protest against “sky-rocketing fuel prices, falling rupee and rising inflation” even as the party asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to clarify whether or not his government had unleashed “economic terror” with continuous hike in fuel prices.
The party is keen to make it a joint Opposition campaign across the country. Congress treasurer Ahmed Patel, along with Ashok Gehlot, who is in charge of organisations, will meet state Congress chiefs, general secretaries and other senior leaders to work out the modalities of the protests, which would include a rally.
Sources say the Congress plans to reach out to Opposition parties such as the Trinamool Congress, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, the Nationalist Congress Party, the Samajwadi Party, the Bahujan Samaj Party and the Left parties for joint action.
The party said that despite the increase in crude prices, the retail price of petrol should be only ₹39 a litre and diesel ₹37.5.
Poser to govt.
“Ten years ago, in June 2008, when we raised petrol prices by ₹5 and diesel pries by ₹3 because crude prices had reached $138 a barrel, a very sharp BJP spokesperson said the UPA government had unleashed economic terror on the country. Does this now not apply to the Modi government,” Congress leader Manish Tewari asked. “With the BJP government selling fuel at prices that is more than double, the Congress will hit the streets. If the prices of petrol and diesel are not reduced, then there will be protests from Kashmir to Kanyakumar,” he added.
“Petrol is just 16 [rupees] away from a century. And the government has seven overs [months] to complete. What do you think? Will they be complete the century?” tweeted Congress communication chief Randeep Surjewala in Hindi.