From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru
Bengaluru, Nov 5: Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee President D K Shivakumar has urged the Union and State governments to slash petrol and diesel prices by at least Rs 25 a litre and bring down LPG cylinder rates to Rs 500 if they are really interested in lessening the burden on citizens.
Talking to media representatives in Hubballi, the State Congress Chief supported the Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot’s demand for further reduction in excise duty on diesel and petrol and cooking gas.
When the UPA government was ruling the BJP leaders had demanded that petrol price should be Rs 50 per litre, he said pointing out the Union government was collecting Rs 35 to 40 as excise duties. The excise duties should be further reduced and the domestic prices of petrol and diesel and other petroleum products must be further reduced, he demanded.
To a question on whether the recent by-elections had any impact on the governments, the State Congress Chief said: "They certainly do. It is because of the reverses suffered by the Modi government that the prices of petrol and diesel have been reduced by Rs 10 overnight," he said.
Shivakumar said the by-elections were not any indication on the government’s performance. "The governments had raked in huge sums of money even when the crude prices were the lowest in the international levels. Why can’t they be further reduced," he asked.
He said Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai have been rattled by the by-election results in different states and even in Karnataka. The prices of petrol and diesel have been marginally reduced. If the prices of essential commodities, edible oil, LPG, steel, cement and iron are not reduced and steps taken to curb inflation, similar results are in store, he warned.
On the bit coin scandal, he referred to Chief Minister’s statement that the government has entrusted the investigation to the Enforcement Directorate. "If the investigation has been really entrusted to ED, why is the government shy of releasing the letter so that people really know the truth," he said.
The KPCC Chief said the Congress party completely believed in the people and the voters have supported the party because all sections of people, farmers, street vendors and even housewives were angry at the government for burdening them. The Modi government as well as the State Government has completely failed in handling the Covid pandemic effectively and has not helped the citizens when they were suffering.
Answering a question on the Chief Minister’s statement that BJP has won in Sindgi despite losing in Hangal, he reminded Bommai that Congress had won in Maski by-election earlier by 31,000 votes despite suffering a narrow defeat in Belagavi lok sabha by-election.
"We have snatched the Hangal seat held by BJP and they won in JD(S) held Sindgi. Didn’t the Chief Minister claim that he was the son-in-law of Hangal and he along with his all cabinet ministers had camped in the constituency for over a week. Has he forgotten all that," he asked.
The KPCC Chief was warmly welcomed at the Hubballi airport by newly elected Congress MLA Srinivas Mane. KPCC Working President Saleem Ahmed, district Congress President Anil Kumar Patil and other leaders were present.
Shivakumar called on Balehosur Mutt pontiff Sri Dingaleshwar Swamy of Gadag in Hubballi along with other Congress leaders.