Watch: Shashi Tharoor pulls autorickshaw with rope to protest soaring fuel prices

In a symbolic protest against rising fuel prices, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor and other party workers pulled an auto-rickshaw with a rope in Thiruvananthapuram on Friday.

Congress workers also raised slogans demanding a reduction in fuel prices as they marched on foot outside the Kerala Secretariat. Taking to Twitter, the Thiruvananthapuram MP said that it was done to protest “extortionate fuel taxes and the failure of both Central and State governments to reduce their share of the loot”.

Symbolically pulled an auto-rickshaw in Thiruvananthapuram to protest extortionate fuel taxes & the failure of both Central & State governments to reduce their share of the loot. Over a hundred autos joined the protest under the auspices of ⁦@INTUCnational⁩ pic.twitter.com/e0D0M29Ffj

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— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) February 26, 2021

In several parts of the country, petrol prices have either touched or are nearing a record high of Rs 100 per litre

Meanwhile, Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas and Steel Dharmendra Pradhan said fuel prices will come down after winter. He termed the fuel price hike as an international matter. “Price is high due to increase in demand, it happens in winter. It will come down”, Pradhan was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.

On Thursday, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee commuted on an electric scooter to and from the ‘Nabanna’ — the state secretariat — in protest against the rising fuel prices, saying “charity begins at home”.

Earlier this week, the Shiv Sena had slammed the Centre over the issue, stating that instead of collecting donations for the construction of the Ram temple, the skyrocketing petrol-diesel prices should be brought down. An editorial in the party mouthpiece also commented on the silence of Bollywood stars on rising fuel prices.