BJP heads for Jantar Mantar over diesel price

Delhi state Bharatiya Janata Party has announced a demonstration at Jantar Mantar on Saturday to demand withdrawal of the hike in the prices of diesel and cooking gas.

BJP Delhi pradesh president Vijender Gupta said the government has made the life of the people difficult due to price rise and corruption.

It has been continuously increasing the prices of diesel, petrol, cooking gas, food grains, milk, sugar, fruit, vegetables and pulses, he said.

“The way in which the price of diesel has been increased by Rs 5 per litre and the limit on buying cooking gas at the subsidised rate of Rs 399 per cylinder from Thursday midnight has broken the common man’s back,” said Gupta.

He said the Delhi government wants to make the city a kerosene-free capital and has recently abolished the kerosene quota.

“Now a common man will have to pay Rs 200 more for a cylinder of cooking gas every month since his quota of kerosene oil has been abolished by the government. This way poor families will have to bear an additional burden of Rs 2,400 per year,” said Gupta.

He criticised chief minister Sheila Dikshit’s reaction that the increase in the prices of diesel and cooking gas was justified since it was the 21st century. Gupta said living in this century did not mean that the government could loot people.

Gupta rejected the government argument that the hike was inevitable as the price of crude oil has increased in the international market.

He said the government had reduced the subsidy of Rs 25,000 crore on oil and gas in the Union Budget 2012-13.

“This hike is due to that cut in subsidy. The price of oil and gas is stable in the world market,” said Gupta.

AIDWA condemns hike

The All India Democratic Women’s Association condemned increase in the price of diesel by Rs 5 per litre and restrictions imposed on subsidised LPG cylinders. It said this will lead to a cascading effect on prices of all major essential commodities.

Statement by the organisation said public and private commuting costs will increase adding to the already existing burden of inflation on common people.