Congress targets Modi govt over fuel, LPG price hike; seeks white paper, special Parliament session

New Delhi: Targeting the Narendra Modi government over the hike in excise duty on petrol and diesel and the rise in LPG cylinder prices, Congress on Tuesday demanded a White Paper and a Special Session of Parliament to discuss price rise.

Mahila Congress president Alka Lamba asked the government to reduce prices of LPG, petrol and diesel and announce a special relief package for women and the poor. She also demanded a strict policy to tackle prices of essential commodities.

Her comments came as the government has hiked excise duty on petrol and diesel by Rs 2 per litre each. The domestic cooking gas LPG price has also been hiked by Rs 50 per cylinder across India and CNG by Re 1 per kg.

"Our demand is that a CAG audit should be done in this matter. If this does not happen, it will be clear that BJP is involved in this whole matter...The prices of LPG, petrol and diesel should be reduced immediately. A strict policy should be brought to control the prices of essential commodities, a special relief package should be announced for women and poor families," she said.

A Special Session of the Parliament should be called to discuss inflation in which a white paper should be presented, she said.

"The government has turned its back on inflation. Their only goal is to fill the coffers of the government and private companies. The common person of the country is bearing the brunt of this inflation," Lamba told reporters while comparing the prices of petrol, diesel and LPG under the UPA and the Modi government.

In 2014, she said the price of petrol was Rs 72 per litre but has risen to Rs 98 to Rs 100 per litre at present. Similarly, she said diesel was Rs 55 per litre under UPA while under the BJP government, it has risen to Rs 88 per litre.

"During the Congress-led UPA, the excise duty on petrol was Rs 9.20 per litre, today it has increased to Rs 19.90. In 2014, the excise duty on diesel was Rs 3.46, today it has increased to Rs 15.80. The price of crude oil was USD 108 per barrel, but today it is USD 65.31 per barrel," she said.