New Delhi:
Slamming the hike in prices of petrol and diesel, the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) has said the government continues to increase the burden of the common man who is already bearing the brunt of high food inflation.
"BJP condemns UPA's efforts to burden aam admi with yet another dose of petrol and diesel price hike. The food inflation is hovering in the region of 17-20 per cent and people are feeling the real pinch of overall price rise," BJP spokesperson Prakash Javadekar said.
Government increased the price of petrol by Rs 4-5 per litre, of diesel by Rs 2, kerosene by Rs 3 and LPG by Rs 35 per cylinder.
Javadekar said BJP will stage agitations across the country against this hike.
"Instead of providing relief to the common man, the government is bent upon taking the petroleum prices to new heights which clearly is an anti-people policy," Javadekar said. He said this hike would have a cascading effect on prices of essential commodities.
The Left also slammed the government terming the fuel price hike a cruel blow against people. "The decision of the UPA government to inflict a steep rise in the prices of petrol, diesel, kerosene and cooking gas is a cruel blow against the people who are already suffering due to the runaway increase in the prices of food and essential commodities," the CPI(M), CPI, RSP and Forward Bloc said in a joint statement.