Petrol was sold at Rs 106.13 per litre and diesel at Rs 94.09 per litre at a petrol pump in Kangpokpi town as on Friday.
TFM Kangpokpi Representative
As the price of petroleum products hover at an all time high in the country and Manipur, Congress continued its protests demanding that the Centre roll back the price hike.
Sadar Hills District Youth Congress Committee (DYCC) in collaboration with its Assembly Youth Congress Committees of Saikul, Saitu and Kangpokpi on Friday organised a mass protest against the rising oil prices of petrol, diesel and cooking gas at IT road, Oil pump Kangpokpi.
Petrol was sold at Rs 106.13 per litre and diesel at Rs 94.09 per litre at a petrol pump in Kangpokpi town as on Friday.
The mass protest was led by District Youth Congress president T Samuel Haokip. He insisted on the importance of the role of youths to sensitize the general public regarding the continuous rise in oil prices in the country and in the states.
He also asserted that the public can no longer remain as a mute spectator when it comes to dealing with the faulty taxation policy on fuel prices by the Modi led BJP government at the Centre and N Biren led government in the state.
Speaking to media persons, DYC general secretary (administration) Jangminthang Kipgen said that the symbolic protest is held against oil price hike on petrol, diesel, and cooking gas in the country while adding that BJP’s ‘Achche Din’ is now proving to be ‘Costly Din’ as people of the country are seeking liberation from the expensive days of the BJP government.
He continued that I don’t seek any political brownie points on the issue of price hike but the fact is I would like to convey to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his government about the plight and misery of the poor and the middle class amid the rising of oil price in the country.
He pointed out that the continuous rise in fuel price has its economic ramification on the poorest of the poor and the middle class which constitute 55 per cent of the country’s population, while adding that fuel price rise in the country is mainly based on two factors, the International crude oil price and taxes levied by the union in the state government.
Taking a jibe at the BJP government, the DYC Sadar Hills leader said that the country imports crude oil at USD 74 per barrel and sells it at INR 105 in most of the states and cities while in the UPA regime, crude oil was imported at USD 112 per barrel and sold it at INR 65 in the country.
Having said this, tomorrow any BJP spokesperson would come up before the media and give their own explanation as this is how they managed to survive till today, he added.
“I believe the centre and the state can rationalize the oil prices in the country by reducing the excise duty and value-added tax on petroleum and petroleum products and quickly bring under the ambit of GST which is not a big deal for the BJP as we all know that the BJP is in power in most of the states”, asserted the DYC Sadar Hills leader.
He appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his government to stop making all their excuses on the pandemic and also stop blaming the previous government for whatever happened today while adding “I think if Prime Minister Narendra Modi fails at this level his resignation will be sought sooner than expected”.
The protestors shouted slogans, “BJP Government Down Down”, “Reduce fuel price”, etc.
They also hold placards which read, “Mr Modi stop looting your own fellow citizens”, “People of India wants employment not inflation”, “We want the economic package, not price hike”, “Stop petrol/diesel price hike or step down immediately, the choice is yours BJP Government”, “Stop blaming the pandemic for rises in oil prices”, “Stop blaming the previous regime for your incompetence and cluelessness”, “Stop squeezing the poor and middle class”, “Modi’s Achche Din is a hike in price on petrol and diesel”, “N Biren Singh Government must reduce VAT on Petrol and Diesel”, “Cut excise duty on Petrol and petroleum products”, “Killing people by price hike is not fair”, “Don’t torture people by price hike during a pandemic”, etc.