Activists associated with the Socialist Unity Centre of India - Communist (SUCI-C) staged a demonstration outside the office of the tahshildar here on Thursday and condemned the Union government’s decision to hike fuel prices. They termed it “a serious blow to the common man” as the hike would eventually lead to rise in essential commodity prices.
He alleged that the move to hike petrol and diesel rates twice in a short span, despite the falling crude oil rates in the international market, was nothing but a measure to safeguard the interests of oil companies.
T.S. Sunithkumar, district secretary of SUCI-C, said, “When crude oil price was $150 a barrel in the global market, petrol was sold at Rs. 60 a litre in India. Now, the petrol and diesel prices are almost the same even when the crude oil price has fallen below $30 a barrel. Instead of reducing fuel prices proportionately, the Union government is hiking them just to safeguard the interests of corporate giants in the oil business. The common man, who is already hit hard by the sky-rocketing prices of essential commodities, will have to suffer more,” he said. He called for withdrawal of the hike and a rational revision of rates.
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Aparna B.R., another SUCI-C leader, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi was “anti-people”, as proved by his “pro-corporate” policies.
“The BJP has completely failed to fulfil its pre-election promises like bringing back black money stashed abroad. The Union government is hell bent on serving its corporate masters by sacrificing the interests of the common man,” she said.