Nagpur: Opposition parties in Maharashtra launched a sharp attack on the Centre, alleging that the rise in petrol and diesel prices immediately after elections in five states exposes what they called a 'pattern of electoral profiteering at the expense of common citizens'.
Former NCP (SP) MLA Anil Deshmukh's Remarks
Anil Deshmukh stated that even a marginal fuel hike during the UPA tenure, when no other option was available, would have witnessed massive protests by the BJP. 'Today, old video clips of Prime Minister Modi criticising fuel price hikes are going viral. Now, they are hiking prices while repackaging it, saying it is the moral duty of citizens to save fuel,' said Deshmukh.
Congress Spokesperson Atul Londhe's Accusations
Maharashtra Pradesh Congress spokesperson Atul Londhe claimed that they knew the BJP was waiting for election results to increase prices. 'The Rs 3 hike is simply a trailer; the movie is yet to come. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis going for a cabinet meeting on a Bullet or other ministers taking the metro train are nothing but photo ops. Within a few days, these same people will be taking chartered flights and sitting cosily in an SUV of their entourage. Prime Minister Modi is on a multi-country tour and advises people to avoid foreign travel and conserve fuel,' Londhe said.
Congress MLA Vijay Wadettiwar's Criticism
Congress MLA and former minister Vijay Wadettiwar attacked the Maharashtra government over its decision to cut taxes on aviation turbine fuel (ATF), calling it a move that benefits big airlines. 'Instead of pandering to industrialists, the state government should have made efforts to provide relief to the common people from inflation. The government does not care for ordinary citizens who will face the impact of rising prices of petrol, diesel, and CNG. The Modi government has pushed the entire country into a whirlpool of inflation,' said Wadettiwar.
NCP (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar's Comparison
In a post on X, NCP (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar wrote that the UPA government led by Manmohan Singh had kept petrol and diesel prices stable at around Rs 60 per litre even when crude oil was at USD 110 per barrel. He claimed that after 2014, even as crude dropped to an average of USD 60 per barrel, the central government hiked taxes from Rs 9 to Rs 32, pushing prices to around Rs 90 per litre and imposing what he called a Rs 10 lakh crore burden on common people.
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