Haryana Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader Kiran Choudhry today criticised the BJP-led NDA government for hiking fuel prices and called for its "immediate rollback".
Terming the decision to hike the prices of petrol by Rs 3.13 a litre and diesel by Rs 2.71 a litre as "anti-people, inflationary, totally unjustifiable and unwarranted", Choudhry said it would put unbearable burden on the common man.
"It would put unbearable burden on the man in the street, especially the impoverished farmers, who are busy sowing the Rabi crops. The hike should be immediately rolled back," Choudhry said said in a statement issued here.
The former Excise and Taxation minister also warned that "worse" is still to come.
"Worse still, it shall have a cascading across-the-board effect on the prices of essential commodities," she said.
"The hard pressed farmers have suffered huge losses due to the unseasonal rain and hailstorms. In this hour when they badly needed relief, the government has chosen to burden them further and add to their cost of sowing by hiking the prices of diesel," she added.
"This exposes the hollowness of the loud claim made by the BJP Government of being pro-farmer. The people are already reeling under inflation and the hike in the prices of petro products is bound to give inflation a push," she said.
Choudhry pointed out that since February, 2015, petrol prices have been raised by 17.34 per cent while diesel prices have been increased by 13.62 per cent.
She also alleged that the hikes effected were not in sync with the international crude prices which have gone up by only 10.6 per cent.
"Since the percentage of hike is not in tune with the international oil prices, the decision should be rescinded, she contended," Choudhry said.
"The Narendra Modi-led NDA Government is about to complete one year in office but has failed to deliver on any front. Instead of bringing people the oft-promised 'achche din' (good days), it is bent on bringing Bure Din (bad days)," Choudhry added.
