'Govt chooses to profiteer off people's misery': Sonia Gandhi writes to PM Modi over rising fuel prices

'Govt chooses to profiteer off people's misery': Sonia Gandhi writes to PM Modi over rising fuel prices

Petrol price on Saturday touched an all-time high of Rs 97 per litre in Mumbai

Hitting out at the Central government over rising fuel prices in the country, Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Sunday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and alleged that the Central government has "chosen to profiteer off people's misery and suffering."

In her letter, the Congress chief urged the Prime Minister to roll back the recent increases in fuel prices and pass on the benefit to the people. "I urge you to roll back these increases and pass on the benefit to our middle and salaried class, our farmers and poor and our fellow citizens," she wrote.

"I write to you to convey every citizen's anguish and deep distress regarding the spiralling fuel and gas prices. On one hand, India is witnessing systematic erosion of jobs, wages and household income. The middle class and those at the margins of our society are struggling. These challenges have been compounded by runaway inflation and an unprecedented rise in the price of almost all household items and essential commodities," the Congress chief said.

Petrol price on Saturday touched an all-time high of Rs 97 per litre in Mumbai while diesel rate crossed Rs 88-mark. This was the 12th straight day of price hike and the largest daily increase since oil companies started to revise rates on a daily basis in 2017.

'Govt chooses to profiteer off people's misery': Sonia Gandhi writes to PM Modi over rising fuel prices
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She further stressed that the fuel prices are at a "historic and unsustainable" high, and said petrol has breached the Rs 100 per litre mark in many parts of the country and the surging price of diesel has added to the escalating woes of millions of farmers.

"What baffles most citizens, is that these prices have been increased despite moderate prices of international crude oil. To put it in context, the crude oil price is nearly half of what it was during the UPA government's tenure. Therefore, your government's act of raising prices (continuously for 12 days till February 20th) is little less than a brazen act of profiteering," she said.

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