AAP holds massive protest against fuel price hike in Mumbai; 'Modi Hai Toh Mehngai Hai'

Amid continuous surge in petrol and diesel prices, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Thursday organised a protest over the issue at Mumbai's CST junction, where hundreds of party volunteers ocuppied the area, expressing anger against the Central government by holding placards that read 'Modi Hai Toh Mehngai Hai'. It is pertinent to mention that in Mumbai, the fuel prices went up, with the cost of petrol being hiked by 84 paise to ₹120.51 and diesel prices per litre increasing by 84 paise to ₹104.77.

AAP Mumbai Working President Ruben Mascarenhas said, "As part of the protest a two wheeler was placed on a hand cart which is symbolic of the ridiculousness of the situation as well as the abject conditions in which the Aam Aadmi is forced to live in. One would have expected the fuel prices to get lower when global fuel prices dropped. But the Modi government has shamelessly been using taxes and fuels as a way to bridge the current account deficit."

"We have just emerged from a covid pandemic which has completely disrupted the supply chain and the informal economy which makes up 95% of our labour force. So many suffered job losses and still more suffered a loss of income.We are literally living from one crisis to another," said AAP Mumbai Working President Ruben Mascarenhas.

"Fuel prices in Mumbai have reached 120.51 for Petrol and Rs 104.77 for Diesel respectively- the highest in the country. The prices have been gone up for 14 times in the last two weeks! AAP demands an immediate rollback of the fuel prices. If the price of petrol in AAP governed Delhi, can be Rs 105, then why cant the MVA Govt bring price parity in Mumbai", said Preeti Sharma Menon, AAP National Executive Member and Mumbai Prabhari.

This comes two days after Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri informed the Lok Sabha that petrol prices hiked in India is 1/10th of prices hiked in other countries. He stated that the United States has increased gasoline prices by 51% between Apr 2021 and March 22, while the prices in Spain surged by 58%.

"Fuel prices hiked in India are 1/10th of prices hiked in other countries. Comparing gasoline (petrol) prices between April 2021 and March 2022, the prices in the United States have increased by 51%, Canada by 52%, Germany by 55%, the UK by 55%, France by 50%, Spain by 58% but in India 5%," Puri said.

Petrol & diesel prices hiked by 80 paise per litre

Petrol and diesel prices in India saw another hike of 80 paise per litre on Wednesday in the national capital. So far, witnessing the continuous rise in fuel prices, 14 revisions in 16 days have resulted in a hike of around Rs 10 per litre. The cost of petrol and diesel in Delhi reached ₹105.41 per litre and ₹96.67 per litre, respectively. While in Mumbai, the fuel prices went up, with the cost of petrol being hiked by 84 paise to ₹120.51 and diesel prices per litre increasing by 84 paise to ₹104.77.  In Kolkata, petrol prices increased by 84 paise to Rs. 115.12, while diesel prices increased by 81 paise to Rs. 99.83. Chennai also saw a similar hike of 84 paise, making the petrol price reach ₹110.95 and diesel prices hiked by 85 paise, thus making the cost of diesel ₹101.04