“It is a damn lie to suggest that left parties were consulted before the unprecedented fuel price hike. Even if we had been consulted we would not have given consent as already the prices of essential commodities are high,” Dasgupta, a senior trade union leader and MP, told PTI here.

“We will oppose it both inside and outside the Parliament. We want immediate withdrawal of the hike,” he said, as the hike would increase the cost of agricultural products and lead to further all-round inflation.

“Petroleum ministry is overstating the dimension of the burden of international prices on domestic oil companies. It is much less than what Mr Murli Deora (Petroleum Minister) has said,” the CPI leader said.

BJP oppose

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has threatened to launch a nation-wide stir against the rise.
Stating that the hike would  trigger inflationary trends,  party spokesman Prakash Javadekar said, “It is unfortunate that when international crude oil prices have started to sober down, the government has gone ahead with this increase that should have been averted.”

He said it is the 8th petroleum price hike thrust by Congress led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government upon “the hapless aam admi”.

Neutralisation

“Instead of the opting for a price hike, the government should have considered the Expenditure Finance Commission recommendation of revenue neutralisation. It is ironical that the Indian customer is being asked to pay more, although he is already paying the highest petrol prices in the world, if compared on a Purchasing Power Parity Index,” Javadekar said.