Muslim groups protest against petrol price hike

New Delhi - 05 Nov 2011: Several Muslim groups have unanimously lashed out at the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance, (UPA), government for yet another petrol price hike in less than two months time and demanded its roll back.

Rejecting the government's claim that frequent hike in petrol price was unavoidable due to compulsions of international market, Muslim groups like Welfare Party, SDPI, and PFI, argued that it was not the fact because the petrol prices are lower in all neighboring countries namely in Pakistan (Rs.41.81 per liter), in Sri Lanka (Rs.50.30 per liter), in Bangladesh (Rs.44.80 per liter) while in United States it is also lower (Rs.42.82 per liter), whereas all over India it varies between Rs. 68 to Rs. 74 per liter approximately.

They said that frequent hiking of fuel prices, especially at a time, when its wrong economic policies and mismanagement have resulted in spiraling prices of all commodities, is totally uncalled for.

"It is very unfortunate that in the period of UPA government, hike in price of petrol became common pattern. In the last three month, there has been hike of Rs. 7 per liter which is affecting the life of common man badly but the government does not seem to take it seriously and find out solution," said Qasim Rasool Ilyas, general escretary of Welfare Party of India (WPI).

E. Aboobacker, president of the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) said that hike in petrol price at regular intervals has unleashed 'terror' of a different kind on the common man, who is already at sixes and sevens with all round price escalation of essential commodities. The latest petrol price rise of Rs. 1.80 per liter-the 11th time since June 2010 -- comes over and above a steep upward revision of Rs. 3.14 a liter on September 15, 2011, he added.
The SDPI president also said that Congress can not be absolved of its hand at regular intervals petrol price hike, on the contention that BJP-led National Democratic Alliance, (NDA) Government was responsible for this hike as it was NDA Government which decided to de-regularize petrol when it was in power.

"Why did UPA Government adopt that decision which was not in favor of common people? Doesn't Congress party know that there are so many examples of the current government changing the previous government's decision?" he asked.

PFI chairman, E M Abdul Rahiman, blamed the government for bowing before the corporate interests at the cost of the lives of common people. He said that putting the blame of this exploitation on the past NDA Government while allowing the autonomy of the oil companies to continue, is equal to challenging the common sense of common man.

source: TwoCircles.net