Fuel price hike an anniversary 'gift' by Modi government: Congress

NEW DELHI: Congress today termed the hike in petrol and diesel prices as a "gift" by the Narendra Modi government to the people on its first anniversary and demanded that it withdraws the four times increase in excise and customs duties to provide relief to the common man.

"Congress demands that Modi government withdraws the four times increase in excise and customs duties thereby collecting Rs 90,000 crore per annum instead of burdening the ordinary citizens by repeated unilateral hikes in petro prices," party's communication department chief Randeep Surjewala said.

Attacking the move, he said that the two unprecedented petrol/diesel price hikes within 15 days have dealt a body blow to the common man and farmers already reeling under high inflationary pressure.

"We wonder whether the 'fortunate PM' is hellbent upon heaping misfortune on repeated price hikes to profiteer from misery of ordinary Indians," he added.

He was reacting to a hike of Rs 3.13 a litre on petrol and Rs 2.71 per litre on diesel from midnight tonight in the second straight steep increase in rates this month.

Another party spokesman R P N Singh said the hike "is a gift by the Modi government on the occasion of its first anniversary. More will follow".