Ramdas Athawale apologises for comment on fuel price hike, demands price of fuel be brought down

Union Minister and Republican Party of India (A) leader Ramdas Athawale has apologised after a furore over his comments made on Saturday, September 15 that the fuel price hike doesn’t affect him as he is a central government minister and gets fuel for free, adding that people are suffering and the government is trying to bring down the price of fuel. The minister’s insensitive comment had come one a day when Mumbai, capital of the minister’s home state of Maharashtra, saw petrol hit a record ₹89 per litre, which escalated further the next day. Twitter users including former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah had reacted sharply to Athawale’s comment at the time.

On Sunday, September 16, ANI News quoted Athawale as saying, “Journalists had asked me prices of petrol and diesel are rising, if I have any problem with it. I had said I've no problem, I'm a Minister, we're provided government vehicles. But people do face problems and prices should be brought down. I didn't say this to insult anyone. If it has hurt people's sentiments, I express my apology. I had no intention to do this. I am a common man who became a minister. I know the problems people face. I am a part of the government and I demand that the price of petrol-diesel should be brought down.”