Opposition demands rollback

BJP has announced that the party will organise blockades at prominent places in the national capital on Monday

The steep rise in petrol prices has drawn sharp criticism both from political parties and the common man.
Hitting out at the government, BJP National Vice-President Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said the rise in prices of petroleum products every second month will "suck the blood" of the poverty-ridden masses. He alleged that the step was taken to "realise all its expenses" incurred on recently held elections in the five states.



The Left parties termed the hike as a "cruel blow" by the UPA government and demanded a reversal of the de-regulation policy implemented in June last year."By increasing the price of petrol by Rs 5 a litre, the UPA government has given another cruel blow to the people who are already suffering from all-round price rise," a statement issued by CPI(M), CPI, RSP and Forward Bloc said.

Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, however, said in Kolkata that the government had no control over petrol prices, which had been de-regulated in June last year.He said the empowered GoM will meet next week to decide on diesel, LPG and kerosene prices.

In Allahabad, activists of Samajwadi Party disrupted rail traffic while those from BJP staged a dharna to protest the "rapacious hike" and demanded a rollback. Workers of the Samajwadi Yuvjan Sabha, the youth wing of Mulayam Singh Yadav's party, went to the Prayag railway and squatted on the tracks blocking the movement of Lucknow-bound Ganga Gomti Express for an hour.

A dharna was organised at the busy Civil Lines crossing in the city by BJP supporters, led by former state minister and MLA Narendra Kumar Singh Gaur.

Fly cheap
In the first reduction in more than seven months, state-owned oil companies on Sunday cut jet fuel price by over 2.9 per cent after international oil rates cooled off from two-year high. Oil companies reduced ATF (air turbine fuel) price by Rs 1,766 per kilolitre or 2.9 per cent, to Rs 58,794 per kilolitre in Delhi, an official of Indian Oil Corporation said here, adding prices are effective from midnight on Sunday. In Mumbai, ATF price has been reduced by Rs 1,827 to Rs 59,602 per kilolitre, the official said. The reduction in ATF price has come after 14 successive hikes since October, 2010, when international crude oil prices started soaring. The ATF price in Delhi on October 1, 2010 was Rs 40,728.52 per kl. The rates were increased by Rs 19,831.48 per kl, or 48.7 per cent till April 30, when last price hike was announced.

- With inputs from Anurag Jadli

Voices
The petrol price hike has adversely affected a middle class Indian's dream of having a car. Also hike in rates of fuel has a ripple effect on the prices of essential commodities.
Vikal Devlal, IT sector employee

We elect a government and then the same government goes on to make our lives more miserable. Where will the common man go?
Vainy Khillan, student

I drive from Dwarka to Mayur Vihar for work. This hike in petrol prices has made me consider travelling in the Metro. But the huge rush there is only going to make my commute worse.
Ujjwal Bakshi, PR executive