Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalitha opposes fuel price hike

CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa today opposed the latest revision in fuel prices, saying it has come as a 'disappointment' to people who voted for BJP expecting a change from the 'wrong' economic policies of the previous Congress-led UPA.

She urged the intervention of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in withdrawing the hike.

Jayalalithaa said people had voted out Congress coalition government for its 'anti-people activities and wrong economic policies' and handed a grand victory to BJP with the hopes that it will usher in new economic policies.

"At a time when people were expecting the new government to change the economic policies adopted by the Congress-led coalition government, today's hike in petrol and diesel prices by Rs 1.69 per litre and 50 paise per litre is disappointing," she said in a statement.

On oil marketing companies' reasoning that the revision was spurred by the unrest in Middle-East, she said this was "temporary" and even the value of Indian rupee had declined due to this.

"Considering these temporary factors, the Centre must roll back the hike," she urged.

Holding that diesel price was revised in line with the UPA government's decision to increase it every month, she said the hike in prices of these two fuels would affect the common people.

She also reiterated her demand for implementing a new price fixation policy for fuel, one she had suggested to the UPA regime, of determining the rates based on import costs and refining charges and rates of domestic crude oil and the refining charges for the same.

"I request the Honourable Prime Minister to intervene and withdraw the increase in prices of petrol and diesel," she added.