Congress says BJP equals ‘Bahut Jyada Price’ after LPG, CNG price hike

The Congress party slammed the Narendra Modi Government after a midnight hike in prices of LPG and natural gas on Monday, October 1, dubbing the Bharatiya Janta Party, which leads the Central Government, as ‘Bahut Jyada Price’. The price of CNG has been increased by ₹1.70 per kilo in Delhi, PNG by ₹1.30 per kilo and LPG by ₹502.4 per cylinder on October 1. For subsidised LPG cylinders, the effective hike is ₹2.89. The main Opposition party said the "midnight assault on the budgets of common people is the final nail in the coffin of a Govt that has now lost the moral right to govern”.

The Congress said the hike in natural gas prices will have a spiralling effect on the prices of urea, fertilisers and electricity, thus hitting the pockets of the common man and farmers, in addition to the burden of daily rising petrol and diesel prices.

Congress said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had asked the middle class to give up their LPG subsidy so that the poor can benefit, however the price of non-subsidised LPG cooking gas cylinders increased by ₹465 since May 2014, when the Modi Govt came to power, from ₹414 per cylinder then to ₹879 per cylinder in September, 2018 in Delhi. The price of subsidised gas cylinder has risen by ₹90 since May, 2014, from ₹412 per cylinder to ₹502 per cylinder in September, 2018 in Delhi, said Congress.

Congress further claimed that international crude oil prices have reduced by 40% since the Modi Government came to power. The party said the price of crude was $107.09/barrel in May 2014 and is presently at $73/barrel. The average price per barrel of crude during the past 52 months has been $50 per barrel, said Congress, ie nearly 55% less than it was during the tenure of the previous Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government. Yet prices of petrol and diesel continue to rise during the Modi Government, pointed out Congress.

The party also said that since May 2014, the Modi Government has increased ‘Central Excise Duty’ 12 times, on petrol by 211% and on diesel by 443% and customs duty has been increased manifold, leading to a ₹12 lakh crore "fuel loot”. Congress asked the why the central government can’t roll-back excise and customs duty to provide the people relief of ₹10-15 per litre, and also demanded that petrol and diesel be under the ambit of the Goods and Services Tax (GST).

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