Shiv Sena laments fuel price hike; claims Centre slashed rates pre-polls and hiked after

Pulling up the government over rising fuel prices, Shiv Sena on Thursday, claimed that the Centre had allowed oil companies to jack up fuel prices as elections in five states were over. Lashing out at Centre via its mouthpiece Saamana, Shiv Sena pointed out that BJP-ruled states had reduced fuel prices ahead of state assembly polls, but now had allowed to rise unchecked as polls were concluded. Petrol costs Rs 92.05/lt in Delhi and Rs 98.36/lt while diesel costs Rs 82.61/lt in Delhi and Rs 89.75/lt in Mumbai.

Sena laments fuel price rise

Saamana claimed that due to demonetisation, GST and 1.5 years of lockdown, the common man was already cash-strapped but the government was unconcerned. Claiming that as Centre's kitty was 'empty' now, this price hike was done to fill its and oil companies' reserves. Noting the fuel prices have crossed Rs 100 in Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, Saamana asked if the govt had decided to completely decimate the common man with its fuel price hike. Comparing the fuel prices before and after polls in Bihar, Delhi, Karnataka and recently in Bengal, Assam, Puducherry, Kerala and Tamil Nadu, Sena claimed that the dust had not yet settled after the polls, but the Centre had started its game of slashing and hiking prices pre and post polls.

Price hike in fuel across India

Oil companies, which have in recent months resorted to an unexplained freeze in rate revision, had hit a pause button after cutting prices marginally on April 15. This coincided with electioneering hitting peak to elect new governments in five states including West Bengal. No sooner had voting ended, oil companies indicated an impending increase in retail prices in view of firming trends in international oil markets. Despite the concerns about rising COVID-19 cases in India denting demand, crude oil prices in the international market have risen primarily on account of strong US demand recovery and a weak dollar.

While campaigning in Tamil Nadu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the middle-class would not have been burdened if the previous governments had focussed energy import dependence of the country. PM also informed that India imported over 85% of its oil needs in the 2019-20 financial year and nearly 53% of its gas requirement. Oil Minister Dharmendra Pradhan had told Parliament that the government is not considering a reduction in excise duty to cool rates from their record highs.  Central and state taxes make up for over 61 per cent of the retail selling price of petrol and about 56 per cent of diesel.