CHANDIGARH: Punjab's ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Sunday slammed the BJP-led Centre over "exponential" increase in fuel prices and accused it of "looting" the public.
Punjab Finance Minister and senior AAP leader Harpal Singh Cheema said, "By constantly increasing the prices of petrol and diesel just after the assembly elections in five states, the Modi government is looting the general public."
"The common people of the country are already facing the brunt of inflation. Crores of people are not able to afford basic amenities. But it is very unfortunate that instead of providing relief to the public in such times, the central government is increasing the troubles of the common people by increasing the prices of petrol-diesel, cooking gas and other essential items," Cheema said in a party statement here.
Cheema said Prime Minister Narendra Modi talked about public interests in his speeches during the recently held polls.
"He pressured the oil companies not to increase prices to fool the public and took electoral advantage of it. Now after winning the elections, they are showing their true anti-people colours," Cheema alleged.
Meanwhile, former Punjab Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu also hit out at the Centre for the rising prices of fuel and asked whether the minimum support price (MSP) of crops and daily wages increased in the same proportion.
"Diesel goes up 10% in thirteen days prices go up directly proportionally! Has the MSP of farmers and daily wages of the labourer gone up in the same proportion? 90 % Indians suffer as the value of there earnings depreciates...Govt turns blind eye," Sidhu tweeted.