Consecutive days of fuel price rise are most definitely pinching holes in the pockets of the poor and middle-class Indians, and many governments are also being asked to slash their exorbitant tax rates on retail sale of petrol and diesel. In Meghalaya, for instance, the state government has been put on the backfoot by a massive commercial vehicle strike due to steep rises in the prices of petrol and diesel. Taxies and buses – a transportation lifeline in the north-eastern state are completely off the roads. The Congress party in the state is demanding Conrad Sangma’s government to slash taxes on fuel.
Yes, you read that right. Congress which has governments in roughly five Indian states is asking the incumbent government in Meghalaya to slash fuel prices by cutting down on the state’s share of taxes. Has this same model been rolled out by the Grand Old Party in any of the states it rules? No. As a matter of fact, states ruled by the Congress are in fact at the forefront of sucking the consumers dry. In Maharashtra, Rajasthan and other states, the fuel prices are among the highest in the country. In some districts of Rajasthan, the fuel prices have breached the Rs. 100/litre mark.
In Maharashtra, for example, the average petrol retail price today stands at close to Rs. 95/litre. In Rajasthan too, the figure is eerily similar. In Chhattisgarh, one litre of petrol, according to retail prices of Tuesday morning, costs Rs. 87/litre. Have tax rates by the Congress governments in such states been slashed? Absolutely not. And while the ground realities are awfully different, the same party has the temerity to conduct a nationwide protest against the fuel price hikes.
On Monday, the Congress party organised protests in several cities across the country against the increase in fuel prices and demanded immediate roll back of the ‘hike’. Interim Presdient Sonia Gandhi, and her son Rahul Gandhi were at the forefront of leading the protests. Sonia Gandhi attacked the Centre for raising fuel prices 22 times since the lockdown and accused it of extorting people. She even alleged that the Modi government was profiteering at the expense of the people, saying its duty was to help them in times of crisis and not make profits out of their hard-earned money.
Rahul Gandhi, meanwhile, in a video said, “The effect of rise in diesel and petrol prices are two-fold. One that you pay directly, and the other due to rise in prices of consumer products, including essential items.” As such, he too dutifully asked the government to stop profiteering from the motor fuel and roll back the recent hikes. That the Congress has recently developed a thing for “roll backs” is known to all.
However, why does the party not lead by example, and cut down fuel tax rates in states ruled by it? Only then can it take the moral high ground and tell the Modi government authoritatively to cut down fuel rates. Till then, the Congress would be advised to stop making a clown out of itself.