Congress leaders and workers, including Rajya Sabha MP Digvijaya Singh, staged symbolic protests across the country on Friday, 11 June, against the rising fuel prices.
According to ASP Ankit Jaiswal, cases have been registered against 30 people, including Digvijaya Singh and party leader PC Sharma, under Sections 188 (Disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) and 145 (Joining or continuing in unlawful assembly, knowing it has been commanded to disperse) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), ANI reported.
The Protest
Speaking in a protest in Bhopal, Singh said “At least Rs 25 can be reduced in fuel prices by cutting excise duty. Where are those who once used to criticise UPA govt over fuel price hikes? With rising fuel prices, consumer goods are also getting expensive,” ANI quoted.
Among the places that saw protests were Delhi, Punjab's Amritsar, Karnataka's Hubli, and Chikmagalur, Varanasi, Bhopal, Jammu, and Ranchi.
Protesting in Delhi, Congress leader KC Venugopal was quoted as saying, "When the UPA was in power, the tax on petrol and diesel was Rs 9.20. Now, it is Rs 32. We demand complete rollback of excise duty hike on petrol-diesel. Fuel should come under the purview of GST."
All India Congress Committee and Delhi Congress protest against frequent hikes in the prices of petrol and diesel at Tajman Singh Road Petrol Pump in New Delhi.
(Photo: PTI)
UP Congress chief Ajay Kumar Lallu was reportedly detained in Lucknow amid the protests against the fuel price hike.
Congress Demands a Complete Rollback of Excise Duty Hike
The Indian National Congress in a statement demanded a complete rollback of the excise duty hike on Petrol and Diesel. The Congress party also said that the price of fuel should be brought under the cap of GST.
The party issued this statement after the nationwide strike on 11 June
“The excise duty hike should be completely rolled back that was bought by the Modi government in the last seven years. Benefit of reduced international crude oil prices should be passed on to the people & the rates of petrol-diesel be reduced accordingly.”Indian National Congress as quoted by ANI
Background
The retail price of petrol and diesel got dearer by 31 paise and 28 paise per litre on Friday to touch new highs of Rs 95.85 and Rs 86.75 per litre, respectively, in Delhi, reports said.
In Mumbai, the petrol price reached a new high of Rs 102.04 per litre on Friday, while diesel prices reached Rs 94.15 a litre, it further reported.
In Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Rajasthan, and Ladakh too, petrol was selling at more than Rs 100 per litre, with the highest price being Rs 106.94 in Rajasthan's Sri Ganganagar.
(With inputs from PTI, IANS and ANI.)
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