New Delhi, Oct 18 (Agency) Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday slammed the government over the rising fuel prices in the country, alleging that the Centre was resorting to “tax extortion”. Tagging a news report, on his Twitter handle, which has shown that the auto fuel is costlier than the fuel used in planes, Rahul Gandhi tweeted, “This is a very serious issue before the election- vote- bank politics, the simple needs of the people are not being fulfilled today.” “I am with the people who are being cheated for the benefit of Modi friends and will continue to raise their voice,” he said in a tweet and added Stop#Tax Extortion.
On Sunday, the oil marketing companies have increased the Petrol and diesel price 35 paise/ per litre, which cost a third more than the rate at which the Aviation Turbine Fuel(ATF) is sold to the Airlines. Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also took a dig at the government and said,” He had promised that he would travel by airplane with Hawai Chappals. But the BJP government has increased the prices of petrol and diesel so much that now it has become difficult for middle class to travel on the road with Hawai chappals ,” she tweeted in Hindi. She used the Hashtag in Hindi #BJP has brought expensive day. The price of petrol in Delhi rose to its highest-ever level of Rs 105.84 a litre, according to a price notification of state-owned fuel retailers. Petrol used in two-wheelers and cars now costs 33 per cent more than the price at which ATF is sold to airlines. ATF in Delhi costs Rs 79,020.16 per kilolitre.