Mumbai, May 29: Harshvardhan Sapkal, the President of the Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee, asserted on Thursday that the recent increase in fuel prices is a direct result of government failures.
During a press interaction, he stated that the fuel crisis has arisen because Prime Minister Modi misled the public with promises of ‘self-reliance’ while neglecting the economy.
Sapkal emphasized, “The lack of a solid policy has led to a significant rise in the prices of petrol, diesel, CNG, and LPG gas. Despite clear signs of a fuel shortage, the Prime Minister was busy campaigning in five states, leaving the public to bear the consequences.”
He further noted that since coming to power in 2014, the Modi government has consistently raised fuel prices. “Both government and private oil companies have profited immensely from these hikes. If the government had set aside funds for oil purchases, this situation could have been avoided. Instead, it prioritized corporate interests, which is blatant corruption. The shortage of fuel and gas has severely affected hotels, restaurants, small businesses, and even home cooking. The economy has crumbled due to the government’s policies.”
Regarding the onion issue, Sapkal mentioned that nearly half of the Maharashtra cabinet members met with Union Cooperation Minister Amit Shah in Delhi, but the state gained no tangible benefits from the meeting.
He added, “The government is talking about purchasing onions at ₹1,500 per quintal, but farmers are demanding ₹3,000 per quintal and are urging purchases through NAFED. They want the entire stock of onions held by farmers to be bought.”
Sapkal reminded that Prime Minister Modi had visited Nashik in 2014 and assured farmers of ₹2,400 per quintal upon coming to power.
He stated, “Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis made similar promises back then, but now they are only offering ₹1,500 per quintal, which is a betrayal of farmers.” He warned that if the government does not meet the farmers’ demands, Congress will initiate fresh protests.
He accused the BJP of plotting to incite riots in the country to regain power in 2029. He claimed that the atmosphere created around Bakrid is merely a glimpse of this agenda. According to him, the BJP deliberately drags Hindu-Muslim issues into every festival to disrupt communal harmony. He also pointed out that due to the BJP’s stance on Bakrid, millions of livestock farmers have incurred significant losses.
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