'Centre will reduce fuel price before assembly elections': Mamata Banerjee attacks Centre

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has slammed the Central Government over the rising fuel prices which have become one of the heated political issues used by opposition parties to corner the Central government. With assembly elections approaching in West Bengal, Banerjee on Monday said the Centre will reduce the prices only for few days ahead of elections.

"They (BJP) are increasing LPG and diesel prices every day. It is a matter of concern. The central government will only reduce the prices for a few days when the elections will be near," said Banerjee.

The fuel prices have continued to rise for the seventh consecutive day in India when the retail prices have risen across the country, due to the price fluctuation in global markets and both crude and product prices seeing a big spike.

Petrol and diesel prices have gone up in the national capital and stood at Rs 88.99 per litre and Rs 79.35 per litre, respectively on Monday. The price of LPG cylinder (14.2 kg domestic cylinder) also increased by Rs 50 per unit yesterday, it will cost Rs 769 in the national capital from today.

This is the second price hike in the month of February. The oil marketing companies had increased the price of non-subsidised LPG cylinders by Rs 25 in metro cities on February 4.

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Congress leader Rahul Gandhi took a dig at the Centre over the LPG domestic cylinder price hike in Delhi and said that the government is 'looting' from the public. Congress' units from various states have been raking the issue of rising fuel prices to attack the Central government.

The Madhya Pradesh unit of Congress asked people to voluntarily observe a half-day shutdown across the state on February 20 to protest the rise in fuel prices. State Congress chief Kamal Nath, in a tweet that carried the appeal for a half-day bandh said it was to wake up the BJP-led state and Central governments from their "deep slumber". Even Punjab unit of Congress, as well as that of Jammu and Kashmir, protested against the rising fuel prices in their respective states.

BJP Madhya Pradesh secretary Rajneesh Agrawal said the state government had not increased VAT while adding that fuel prices have risen due to change in rates in the international market.

Days ago, Samajwadi Party MP Vishambhar Prasad Nishad asked the Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Dharmendra Pradhan in Rajya Sabha as to why the price of fuel was higher in Ram’s India, compared to Sita’s Nepal and Ravana's Sri Lanka? To this, Pradhan responded by saying that fuel prices cannot be compared between the countries due to its varied consumption rate. 

To prove his point, the Union Minister cited an example of Kerosene which is priced higher in Sri Lanka and Nepal than India due to the mass consumption there. He quoted the price of kerosene in India, which is Rs 32 per litre whereas it is Rs 59 per litre in Nepal and Rs 57 per litre in Lanka, as it is a mass-consumption commodity there.

(With inputs from agencies)

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