BJP stages protest against fuel price hike

The SC/ST cell of BJP's Dharwad unit on Wednesday staged a demonstration to protest the hike in petrol and diesel price. The protesters took a buffalo in a procession to deputy commissioner's office and submitted a memorandum addressed to the Prime Minister.

They said that the hike was like rubbing salt into the wound of the poor and middle class as they were already burdened with high fuel price.

The hike in petrol and diesel prices will further lead to an increase in the transport cost and the prices of essential goods will also rise.

The CPM has also condemned the hike in the price of petrol and diesel. The CPM Dharwad district unit in a release said that this was the fifth hike in last two years and will hit the poor and middle classes hard.

CPM secretary Raghavendra Ayi said that the hike could have been averted by reducing the customs duty/tax on oil. The price of crude in the international market is $70 per barrel that is Rs 19-20 per litre.

The Government of India has imposed 57 per cent tax on petrol and 36 per cent on diesel, it pointed out. The government and private companies should minimise their margin in the larger interests of the people and the government should share the subsidy burden.

It suggested that the government instead of hiking the fuel price should try to increase its revenue through security transaction tax and capital gains tax.