Chandigarh, May 24
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has strongly condemned the hike in petrol and diesel prices by the Narendra Modi-led central government, thus putting more burden on the people, who were already suffering due to the ongoing Covid-19 outbreak. In a joint statement issued on Monday, AAP MLA Baljinder Kaur and state Trade Wing president Inderbir Singh Nijjer said that the central government had proved that it was anti-people by imposing more burden on the people, already affected by inflation. They said that the increase in petrol and diesel prices had also led to an increase in prices of everything, which was putting a burden on the poor, middle class and everyone.
The AAP leaders said that successive rises have had a far-reaching effect on the prices of commodities and all this at a time when people were facing financial hardships and personal tragedies due to non-existence of government support. “Petrol now costs over Rs 95, up by over 25 rupees, while the nation tackles a pandemic,” they added. The leaders said that the increase in the prices of fuel will not only affect the common man but it will also affect the already burdened farmers as it would increase their cost of production. They said that the Modi-led central government had proved yet again that the welfare of the people was not their top priority.
Baljinder Kaur said that the hike in fuel prices had a direct impact on the prices of essential goods. “From pulses to edible oils, prices are escalating; burning holes in common man’s pockets,” she added. She said that the escalating prices clearly depict the apathy of the central government towards the interest of the common people. The AAP leaders further said that while the poor and middle classes were struggling to make ends meet due to closed businesses, the central government was busy looting its own people.
The leaders said that as compared to the northern states, petrol and diesel was more expensive in Punjab too. Taking a dig at the Captain Amarinder Singh-led Punjab government, the AAP leaders said that the Captain government was paying no heed to the problems of the people and was looting the state’s wealth by giving a free hand to the mafia and by filling their own and cronies’ coffers. They said that the Punjab government was charging people extra taxes on basic necessities like fuel, which was pushing the fuel prices further. “The Chief Minister of Punjab seems to have no care for the masses and is following the footsteps of his boss Modi,” said the leaders. They said that the AAP had always been raising the issues of the people and will continue to fight for their rights.
