HYDERABAD: IT & Industries Minister KT Rama Rao on Wednesday hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Central government saying that though the prices of crude oil in the world market have fallen drastically, the Centre wasn’t taking any steps to lower the fuel prices and reduce the burden on the people of the country.
The Modi government’s excuse that international crude oil prices are the reason for the increase in fuel prices has once again been proven wrong, remarked Rama Rao. If the price of a barrel of crude oil decreases internationally, then the people of the country should benefit, the Minister said, adding that the Modi government doesn’t want that to happen and was thus, increasing the excise duties and cess.
“Since 2014, the Central government under the leadership of Narendra Modi has increased fuel prices so many times and looted more than Rs 26 lakh crore from the people in the form of fuel taxes and cess. The Modi government is exploiting the common people and serving the corporate. As they [the Centre] are too busy serving the interests of the corporates, they do not have any concern for the sufferings of the poor and the middle classes,” he said.
“Before coming to power, PM Modi used to say that the rise in fuel prices was a failure of the then Central government. Will PM Modi now admit that he has failed miserably in controlling the rise of fuel prices,” Rama Rao asked.
“When the Modi government was formed in 2014, the price of a barrel of crude oil was around $110. By January 2015, it had fallen to $50 and in January 2016 it had fallen to $27. In 2020, the price of a barrel of crude oil fell to $11 dollars due to Covid-19. However, the Modi government never reduced fuel prices,” he said.
‘BJP destroying social fabric’
Accusing the BJP of vitiating the peaceful atmosphere in the State, TRS working president and IT Minister KT Rama Rao on Wednesday alleged that the saffron party was using social media to disturb the social fabric of the country. He tweeted: “I am shocked to hear about the brutality of @BJP4India’s ‘Goondas’, who resorted to attacking WOMEN and COMMON people in the Janagama district in the name of their flop Yatra. Shame on #BJP_Goondas, who are trying to disturb the harmony of the state for their political agenda (sic)”.