The General Secretary of the All India Congress Committee and former Union Minister, Kumari Selja said that petrol-diesel, necessary for every individual in the country, has become a means of earning for the BJP-led central government. Not just oil companies, but based on excise duty, the central government is engaged in making hefty profits from the sale of petrol-diesel. Instead of passing on the benefits of reduced crude prices to the common people, everyone is focused on filling their own pockets.
In a statement released to the media, Kumari Selja said that despite a 29% decrease in crude oil prices in 19 months, the central government has yet to provide any relief to the public. Oil companies have earned profits of more than 2.12 lakh crores in just three quarters, while the price of crude oil has fallen from $109 per barrel to $77 per barrel. Despite this, instead of providing direct relief in the prices of petrol and diesel to the people of the country, a conspiracy is being hatched to empty their pockets. The game of increasing prices of petrol and diesel is now understood by the people of the country, and they are now awaiting the Lok Sabha elections so they can steer away the BJP-led central government, which promotes profiteering and inflation. Kumari Selja said that oil companies themselves admit that they are making a profit of Rs 10 per litre on petrol and Rs 4 per litre on diesel. However, the BJP-led central government, which earns excise duty of Rs 32.90 per litre on petrol and Rs 31.80 per litre on diesel, remains silent. None of the government representatives are ready to speak openly about this looting that is happening in broad daylight. The former Union Minister said that if the BJP-led central government stops this open looting happening with the common people, it will to a large extent curb inflation. The prices of essential commodities will decrease, providing relief to every lower and middle-class family. However, the central government is not willing to take any steps towards relief; instead, it continues its looting spree to benefit its capitalist and profiteer friends while disregarding the public’s pockets. In this way, the central government is oppressing the people in every aspect, and the BJP will have to bear the consequences in the upcoming elections because the people of the country have decided to remove the BJP from power due to the blow of their votes.
