Centre looting people every day, says Derek as fuel prices soar

Kolkata: Coming down heavily on the BJP government at the Centre, Trinamool Congress MP Derek O' Brien said on Monday that it is looting the public every day.

He said that the people of the country are well aware of this and after 6-7 months they will oust BJP. "Every day the Centre is looting people by increasing the price of petrol and diesel and the people of this country are aware of it. After 6-7 months they will throw BJP out of power in the Lok Sabha polls."

He said in the past four years, the Centre has increased the excise duty nine times. "It was 3.5% for diesel in 2014 and now it is 15.3 %. The excise duty was Rs 9.48 in 2014 and now it is Rs 19.48."

He alleged that the reduction of 2% central excise was just an eyewash, as a cess was imposed simultaneously. "The common public are at the receiving end. The prices of essential commodities will go up and this is happening when the price of fuel is going down in the international market.

He said: "How long can the looting of common people go on? Every day they are being looted."

It may be mentioned that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has always been vocal about the anti-people moves of the Centre, from note ban to the hike in the prices of fuel.

Trinamool Congress leaders and workers had worn black badges on August 4 and 5 to protest against the hike in the prices of fuel. Rallies were held in every city upto the block level.

It may be mentioned that within 15 minutes after the ban on high value notes was imposed in November 2016, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had criticised it and said it will be a disaster. "The growth of the country will be badly hit," she had pointed out. She had called the move the "biggest scam".

After her all the well known economists, both from the country and abroad, had echoed her voice. She had also criticised the hasty implementation of GST by the Centre.