New Delhi: Over 30 Congress workers were detained on Friday for holding protests at petrol pumps in several parts of the city to demand a complete rollback of fuel price hike.
Some Indian Youth Congress members protested shirtless at a petrol pump at Janpath with posters criticising fuel price hike taped to their chest.
Police detained over 30 protesters from the location for flouting Covid protocol.
“We detained the protesters as protests are not allowed due to the ongoing Covid situation. They will be released soon, a senior police officer said.
Party leaders K C Venugopal and Shakti Singh Gohil reached the Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium petrol pump on a horse cart.
Venugopal said that under the UPA government, the tax on petrol and diesel stood at Rs 9.20. Now, it is Rs 32.
“The government should stop imposing excise duty on petrol and diesel. It should come under the purview of Goods and Services Tax. We demand a complete rollback of fuel price hike,” Venugopal, who is the Congress general secretary, said.
Ajay Maken led a protest against rising fuel prices at petrol pumps in Rajinder Nagar and Janpath.
IYC President Srinivas BV accused the government of spending the tax collected on diesel and petrol on “extravagant projects”.
“The reduction in fuel prices comes only on the occasion of elections. The BJP’s loot starts again as soon as it gets time from the election campaign,” he alleged.
Party leaders said protests are being held at petrol pumps across the county by local units in compliance with COVID-19 protocols.
Petrol and diesel prices were hiked again on Friday by 31 paise per litre and 28 paise per litre, respectively.
A litre of petrol in Delhi costs Rs 95.85, whereas diesel costs Rs 86.75 per litre.
Petrol prices have crossed the Rs 100 per litre mark in Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Rajasthan and Ladakh.
Sri Ganganagar district in Rajasthan has the costliest fuel in the country with petrol priced at Rs 106.94 a litre and diesel at Rs 99.80.
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