Mumbai, May 28 (PTI) Maharashtra Congress president Harshwardhan Sapkal on Thursday alleged that the rise in fuel prices and shortages of petrol, diesel and cooking gas were the result of the Narendra Modi-led government’s “policy failure”.
The Centre neglected the economy while promoting “self-reliance”, he said.
No concrete fuel management policy was drawn up despite indications of possible shortages, and Prime Minister Modi remained occupied with election campaigning in five states while the crisis deepened, the Congress leader alleged.
“The country is paying a heavy price for the Centre’s negligence. The fuel price rise and shortage are the sins of the Modi government,” said Sapkal.
Since coming to power in 2014, the BJP-led government continuously increased fuel prices which benefited both government-owned and private oil companies, he said.
The Centre should have created a reserve fund for fuel security, but instead prioritised the interests of oil companies and this was a “major corruption issue”, said the Congress leader.
The fuel and gas shortages affected hotels, restaurants, small businesses and domestic kitchens, he said, adding that the economy “collapsed” because of the Centre’s wrong policies.
On the issue of onion prices hitting rock bottom, Sapkal said a delegation of Maharashtra ministers met Union Cooperation Minister Amit Shah in New Delhi but returned “empty-handed”.
Onion growers were demanding procurement of their crop at Rs 3,000 per quintal through NAFED and not the Rs 1,500 rate being discussed by the government, he said.
Sapkal also referred to Modi’s 2014 visit to Nashik, claiming the prime minister had then promised remunerative onion prices to farmers.
The Congress would intensify its agitation if the government failed to accept farmers’ demands, he warned.
Sapkal also accused the BJP of trying to create communal tension ahead of coming elections. Referring to the atmosphere around Bakri Eid celebrations, he alleged that attempts were being made to provoke unrest by injecting Hindu-Muslim issues into festivals and religious events.
The BJP’s stand on Bakri Eid-related matters caused financial losses worth crores of rupees to livestock-rearing farmers across the country, claimed Sapkal. PTI MR KRK
This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.