Cong demands reduction in prices of petrol, LPG & pulses

New Delhi: Hitting out at the Narendra Modi-led government over the rise in prices of petrol, LPG and pulses, the Congress on Tuesday said that there is no respite from its "economic mess" and demanded that fuel prices and GST rates on mass-consumed goods be reduced to provide relief to the common people.

It also hoped that a joint strategy would be evolved by various parties to raise the issue in the upcoming session of Parliament. "Come rain or shine, no respite from GOI's economic mess," Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said on Twitter.

While addressing a press conference, former Finance Minister P Chidambaram alleged that the high inflation is due to the wrong policies of the central government.

AICC general secretary and party chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said that the issue of high inflation and price rise is being raised at the ground level through protests and demonstrations and would be taken up in the Monsoon session of Parliament.

"The NDA government has continued to pretend that the concern about price rise is a false concern and, if the government ignores the issue, the issue will go away. The Congress party condemns the callous negligence of the government on the issue of price rise," he told reporters.

The former union minister said that this inflation has not been caused by a spurt in demand, which on the contrary is low, or due to excess liquidity or too much money in the hands of the people.

"This inflation has been caused by the wrong policies of the government and its inept management of the economy," he said, adding, "The Congress party demands that the central government should immediately reduce, substantially, the prices of petrol, diesel and LPG. We demand that import duties be reviewed and re-set so that prices of essential imported goods are cheaper."

"We also demand that GST rates be reduced on an array of goods that are mass-consumed by the people. We are convinced that these steps alone will bring relief to the people from the crushing burden of high inflation," Chidambaram said.

He said that the Congress party will raise the issue of high inflation in the forthcoming session of Parliament and demand a full discussion on the subject as well as substantial relief for the people of India.

"Let me caution the government: the issue of high inflation will not go away if you pretend it does not exist," he said.