Federal Minister Cites Free Rations for the Poor as a Reason Behind India's Fuel Price Hike

© AP Photo / Anupam NathA man prepares to fill fuel in a vehicle at a petrol pump in Gauhati, India, Sunday, Sept. 22, 2019. Fuel prices have increased in the last six days following attacks on key oil facilities in Saudi Arabia.
A man prepares to fill fuel in a vehicle at a petrol pump in Gauhati, India, Sunday, Sept. 22, 2019. Fuel prices have increased in the last six days following attacks on key oil facilities in Saudi Arabia.  - Sputnik International, 1920, 10.04.2022
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Several Indian parties, including Congress Party, hit out at Prime Minister Modi's BJP over rising fuel and commodities prices. India's Ratings and Research (Ind-Ra) agency cut the country's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth forecast for 2022-23.
India's Minister of Women and Child Development, Smriti Irani, was caught in an argument with Congress politician Netta D'Souza on Sunday on a flight when she questioned the rise in fuel prices.
D'Souza and Irani were onboard a flight from Delhi to Guwahati; as the passengers started de-boarding the plane, the Congress women's wing chief followed Irani and asked her a question on a pressing problem.
In a 1:11 minute video tweeted by D'Souza, Irani can be heard saying, "The government is giving free rations to poor people, free vaccines to 1.83 billion people."
Later, Irani is heard saying that she is being "accosted".
The price of petrol has been hiked 15 times in 16 days, pushing up prices by INR 10 ($0.13) per litre. There has been no hike in the last two days.
In Delhi, a litre of petrol now costs INR 105.41 ($1.39) , while diesel is being sold at INR 96.67 ($1.27) per litre. Fuel prices vary from state to state in India, depending on local taxes such as Value Added Tax (VAT) and freight charges
Many opposition parties, including Congress Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), are now staging frequent protests against the federal government over the steady rise in petrol, diesel, cooking gas, fertilisers, and essential medicines.
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