Congress dubs fuel price cut as 'electoral lollipop'

Union minister and BJP leader, Vijay Goel, participates in a protest against the Kejriwal government of Delhi for a cut in fuel prices by reducing VAT, in New Delhi, on Sunday. Pic/PTI

The Congress dismissed the Rs 2.5 a litre cut in petrol and diesel prices as "electoral lollipop" aimed at the five poll-bound states, and asked the Narendra Modi government to bring petroleum products under GST regime.

Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera said oil prices have begun rising again since the cut was effected on Thursday, adding that it showed the government's duplicity and hypocrisy. He questioned the government's claim of oil prices being deregulated, saying they depend upon the electoral calendar, as they remained unchanged for 17 days during the Karnataka assembly polls, and a similar pattern was seen during the Gujarat polls.

"We reiterate our demand to bring in petroleum products under the ambit of GST so as to completely demolish this sheer hypocrisy of credit seeking just before the electoral season," he said.

Prices rise again
Within a day of the one-off excise duty cut and PSUs subsidising fuel, petrol and diesel prices are on the rise again and have hit a three-week high. Petrol price was hiked by 18 paise a litre on Oct 6 and 14 paise on Sunday, according to daily price notification issued by oil firms.

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