New Delhi, May 15 (IANS). After the increase in oil and gas prices in India, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders have defended the decision. BJP leaders compared the rise in oil prices in India and other countries. Also claimed that among the big economies, India was the country where the common citizens had the least burden. During this, he hit out and said that the Congress party should be ashamed of politicizing everything.
BJP leader Amit Malviya wrote on social media platform
He said that between February 23 and May 15, there was a sharp increase in the prices of petrol and diesel in most of the countries. According to Amit Malviya, petrol prices in America increased by 44.5 percent and diesel prices increased by 48.1 percent. In Pakistan, petrol prices have increased by 54.9 percent and diesel prices have increased by 44.9 percent. In Britain, the price of petrol increased by 19.2 percent and the price of diesel increased by 34.2 percent.
Amit Malviya said that in Germany the price of petrol increased by 13.7 percent and the price of diesel increased by 19.8 percent, while in Japan the price of petrol increased by 9.7 percent and diesel by 11.2 percent. The BJP leader also said that in Myanmar the price of petrol increased by 89.7 percent and the price of diesel increased by 112.7 percent.
Talking about India in comparison to these countries, the BJP leader said, “The increase was the lowest in India, where the price of petrol has increased by 3.2 percent and the price of diesel has increased by 3.4 percent.”
He wrote in the post, “Only in Saudi Arabia there was no growth, because there is a direct government subsidy system in place. But among the big economies, India was the country with the least burden on the common citizens. This did not happen on its own.”
Citing some reports, he said, “For a full 76 days after the West Asia crisis deepened, India’s public sector oil marketing companies, which account for about 90% of the retail market, did not pass on the burden of rising international crude oil prices directly to the public. They themselves bore a major part of the cost. According to reports, under-recovery of up to ₹1000 crore was being made per day.”
The BJP leader said the Rs 3 per liter increase announced on May 15 is the first increase in almost four years and works out to be only about 3.5 per cent increase on the base price of around Rs 95 per litre. Compare with the rest of the world. He said, “People in Pakistan are paying about 55 per cent higher prices compared to three months ago, while in Malaysia they are paying 56 per cent higher prices and in the US they are paying about 45 per cent higher prices. In many countries, diesel prices have increased by 50 per cent to 100 per cent because diesel is directly linked to freight, trade and logistics.”
Along with this, Amit Malviya said that India, on the contrary, kept the impact of the global oil crisis from reaching the common citizens for more than two months and yet achieved only limited and balanced growth. He said that it is not just a matter of petrol pump prices. Fuel prices directly affect transportation, food commodities, logistics, construction costs and the budget of ordinary households. Fuel price control means control on inflation.
The BJP leader said that the story is not just about increase of Rs 3. The real story is that when petrol and diesel became expensive by 10 percent, 20 percent, 50 percent and in some places by 90 percent in most countries of the world, India limited the increase to only about 3 percent. This is the real context of this entire figure.
At the same time, BJP spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari gave a befitting reply to Congress’s allegations regarding oil prices. He wrote in the ‘X’ post, “Congress party should be ashamed of politicizing everything. Congress is a party which always looks for political opportunities in any global crisis and in the end it has to face defeat.”
Pradeep Bhandari said, “Despite Brent crude being above $ 100 per barrel after the Hormuz Strait crisis and a huge jump in fuel prices across the world, prices in India have remained stable for 76 days. Petrol and diesel prices have seen an increase of only 3.5 percent in India.
The BJP spokesperson wrote in the post, “This is the time of economic patriotism. 140 crore Indians are with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress is once again being exposed due to its desperate politics.”
–IANS
DCH/