Petrol, diesel prices hiked by 80 paise; Congress, NCP accuse Centre of 'looting' common man

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Petrol and diesel prices were hiked by 80 paise a litre each on Wednesday, taking the total increase in rates in 16 days to Rs 10 per litre.

Petrol in Delhi will now cost Rs 105.41 per litre as against Rs 104.61 previously while diesel rates have gone up from Rs 95.87 per litre to 96.67, according to a price notification of state fuel retailers. Rates have been increased across the country and vary from state to state depending upon the incidence of local taxation.

This is the 14th increase in prices since the ending of a four-and-half-month long hiatus in rate revision on March 22. In all, petrol and diesel prices have gone up by Rs 10 per litre each.

Congress, NCP accuse Centre of 'looting' common man

Congress and the NCP accused the Narendra Modi government of looting the poor as the prices of petrol and diesel were hiked again.

"The Modi government continues to loot the poor through fuel price hikes! Petrol-diesel prices were increased by another 80 paise today with the prices going up by Rs 10 in two weeks," Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole tweeted. Patole termed the BJP government a "pickpocket".

NCP spokesperson Clyde Crasto also took to Twitter to hit out at the BJP, terming the saffron party "lootjeevi" (one which thrives on the loot). Taking a swipe at the BJP, Crasto shared a cartoon, in which he likened the party to a cowboy holding fuel pump nozzles in both hands as if guns and training them towards a common man who has raised his hands out of fear. The cowboy depicted in the cartoon has the BJP's poll symbol, the lotus, in the place of his face.

"Enough of petrol-diesel price rise," Crasto tweeted. NCP and Congress are constituents of the MVA government led by Shiv Sena.

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