Chandigarh: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Punjab president Aman Arora on Friday condemned the BJP-led Centre over the hike in fuel prices and inflation, accusing it of pushing common people, farmers and small businesses into financial distress while favouring a handful of corporate houses.Addressing a press conference, Arora said the country was suffering due to inflation despite the tall promises made by PM Modi before coming to power 12 years ago. “The BJP govt has once again burdened common people, farmers and small businesses with rising fuel prices and inflation,” he added.Referring to the latest hike in fuel and LPG prices, Arora said, “Immediately after the West Bengal elections, the Central govt increased the price of commercial LPG cylinders by ₹943, dealing a severe blow to small businesses and traders. Along with this, the Centre increased petrol prices by ₹3.14 per litre, diesel by ₹3.11 per litre and CNG prices by ₹2. This is a shameful gift to the people of the country.”He asserted that the BJP only remembers public welfare during elections but imposes economic burdens on people after securing votes. “The BJP talks about public welfare during elections, but after winning votes it starts looting the hard-earned money of the people. These price hikes are being done only to benefit a few selected corporate houses close to the ruling party,” Aman Arora said.Highlighting the impact on Punjab’s farming sector, Arora said the diesel price hike will directly hit agricultural operations during the paddy sowing season. “Farmers require water and fuel for irrigation during paddy sowing. The increase in diesel prices will directly affect their agricultural operations and increase their financial burden,” he added. Taking a dig at the Centre’s foreign policy decisions related to oil imports, he said, “It is difficult to understand why India is hesitant in making independent decisions on purchasing oil despite opportunities available from countries like Russia.” Arora demanded that the Centre immediately roll back the hike.‘PM’s plane runs on water?’Asked whether Punjab will take steps like cutting down on official cavalcades to bring down fuel consumption in response to PM Modi’s appeal, Arora said it is up to the chief minister to decide whether it has to be implemented and in what form. “The PM has gone abroad while he has made an appeal to people to work from home. He is doing the exact opposite. Does the aeroplane carrying him work on water?”‘ECI has lost integrity’Replying to a question on SIR, Arora said, “We have no objection or any fear regarding SIR or any such exercise. AAP has an apprehension regarding ECI acting like a political wing of the BJP. In West Bengal, first 91 lakh voters were deleted from the rolls and later 60 lakh were wrongly declared dead. Even after the elections, according to the TMC, there were 31 constituencies where the BJP’s victory margin was less than the number of votes deleted. “If such an institutional loot of votes will be done using the SIR, we are strongly against it. The ECI has lately lost integrity. Ultimately, publication of electoral rolls has to be done by the ECI,” he said. MSID:: 131118281 413 |
