AAP protest, cong to form human chain against fuel price hike

New Delhi: The Aam Aadmi Party today staged a protest here over an unprecedented rise in prices of petrol and diesel. Scores of AAP legislators gathered outside the Shastri Bhawan, which houses the Petroleum Ministry and demanded control over the price rise. The MLAs were donning aprons with colourful slogans highlighting the steep hike in petrol and diesel prices.

In a memorandum submitted to Union Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan by AAP's state convenor Gopal Rai, the party demanded that the Ministry should issue immediate instructions to oil companies to link petrol and diesel with the international market, and the huge profits being made by these companies be passed on to the public. 'The mandate of the public sector oil companies is to make fuel available to the common man at reasonable prices and not to profiteer like an unscrupulous, greedy corporate house," the party stated in its memorandum. Later, the protesting MLAs were taken away by the police. But the AAP claimed that their party MLAs were arrested. Yesterday, Delhi Congress had also announced that it would stage a massive protest in form of a human chain on September 21 against rise in prices of petrol and diesel.

DPCC to form human chain against petrol, diesel prices : Maken

With petrol and diesel prices touching sky, the Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee (DPCC) will stage a massive protest in form of a human chain on September 21 , DPCC president and senior Congress leader Ajay Maken said here today. According to Mr Maken , people were being forced to pay high amount of tax of Rs 51.78 as on petrol and RS 44.40 on diesel, while buying fuel worth Rs 100 due to increase in the excise duty and VAT.

Criticizing Union Tourism Minister KJ Alphonse's statement regarding petrol prices in which he had said that,' those who can buy scooters can afford to spend on petrol too', Mr Maken said that without realizing the fact that those who ride scooters save every rupee so they can save to run their household, the leaders of the present government are giving such statements. He also said that rise in petrol, diesel prices have also affected the prices of daily requirement items such as vegetables, fruits, milk and others ,and this is one of the main reasons that price of essential items has shot during recent times in the capital.

Mr Maken said,'Delhi Congress will create a human chain on September 21 from Mandi House crossing to Parliament Street, to protest against the unprecedented rise in the prices of petrol and diesel'. According to the senior Congress leader, DPCC has received massive support from public during the three day signature campaign that was from September 17 till today , which was led by them in the capital for collecting 10 lakh signatures across 261 petrol pumps.

Mr Maken , taking a dig at Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said that, instead of protesting against the rise in the fuel prices , the Aam Aadmi Party workers should protest against their leader Mr Kejriwal, who is allegedly behind the ammendments in the law to increase VAT on petrol and diesel twice. The campaign was to get public's support in the protest against the unprecedented rise in the petrol and diesel prices.

The protest will be peaceful and will be carried out in manner that the movement of traffic is not disturbed, Mr Maken added. Congress leaders including Sharmistha Mukherjee, Mukesh Sharma, Puja Bahri and senior leader Chattar Singh were also present during the press conference held at Rajiv Bhawan here. (UNI)