Sonia Gandhi writes to Modi over ‘insensitive’ fuel price hike

Congress president Sonia Gandhi urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to rollback the fuel price and pass on the benefit of reduced international crude oil rates to consumers

1.Sonia Gandhi writes to Prime Minister to rollback the fuel prices

Sonia Gandhi said, if “you want citizens to be self-reliant then do not place financial fetters on their ability to move forward”.

2.Do not place financial burden on people

In her letter, Sonia Gandhi also pointed the hike in excise duty of petrol and diesel has come at a time when the country is facing unprecedented public health, economic and social challenges during the ongoing battle against the COVID-19 pandemic.

3.Sonia Gandhi has questioned the timing of the petrol price hike

“I am deeply distressed that in these exceedingly difficult times since the beginning of March, the government has taken the wholly insensitive decision to increase petrol and diesel prices on no less than ten separate occasions,” she wrote.

4.The decision to increase prices is insensitive: Sonia Gandhi

The letter came a day after former Congress president Rahul Gandhi criticised the government over the increase in petrol and diesel prices.

5. Rahul Gandhi had also criticised the government over price hike

hikeApart from demanding that the benefit of low international crude oil prices be passed on to the consumers, the Opposition party also wants the rates of petrol, diesel and LPG be reduced to the August 2004 level.

6.Congress has also demanded reduction of petroleum rates to August 2004 level

The price of petrol then was Rs 36.81 per litre, diesel was sold at Rs 24.16 per litre and LPG Rs 261.60 per cylinder in Delhi, it said.

7. The price of petrol was Rs 36.81 per litre, diesel was sold at Rs 24.16

Alleging that the government is earning out of the pockets of the poor by imposing high taxes on fuel, the Congress has also been demanding that petrol and diesel should be brought under the ambit of Goods and Services Tax (GST)

8.Congress has been demanding that petrol and diesel should be brought under the GST

“Your government is seeking to earn an additional revenue of nearly Rs 2,60,000 crore by these ill-advised hikes in excise duty and increases in the petrol of diesel.

9.Government is seeking to earn a revenue of Rs.2,60,000  crore by excise duty and price hike

As it is, people across the board are facing unimaginable hardships what to say of widespread fear and insecurity,” the Congress chief said.

11.People are facing unimaginable hardships

“These price increases are saddling our people with an additional burden of this enormous magnitude that is neither justified nor appropriate. It is the duty and responsibility of the government to alleviate suffering, not put the people to still greater hardship,” she added.

12. It is the responsibility of the government to alleviate suffering: Sonia Gandhi

Sonia questioned the “logic” behind such an increase at a time when the economic impact of COVID-19 is “depriving millions of jobs and livelihood, devastating business big and small, rapidly eroding the income” of the middle class, even as farmers are struggling to sow the crop for the Kharif season.

13.Sonia questioned the logic of price hike at the time of crisis

Sonia Gandhi urged the Prime Minister to roll back these increases and pass on the benefit of low oil prices directly to the citizens of this country.

14 Sonia Gandhi urged the Prime Minister to roll back the increased prices