To protest against the rising fuel prices and inflation, the Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) on Wednesday announced a week-long awareness campaign, beginning on November 14, the birth anniversary of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru. As part of the campaign, it will also hold a Jail Bharo agitation.
 
Addressing a press conference in Mumbai, Nana Patole, president of MPCC, said that artificial inflation created due to the faulty policies of the Narendra Modi government at the centre and repeatedly hiking fuel prices have made a hell of life of the common man who is struggling to meet ends due to the increase in prices of essential items.

Patole said the price of edible oil has doubled in the last one year. The government has increased fuel price by about Rs 35 per litre in a year when crude oil prices are falling in the international market. Today, petrol is priced at Rs 110 per litre and diesel costs Rs 96 per litre. By increasing the price of gas, the Modi government has made a profit of Rs 25 lakh crore in seven years through fuel tax.

An LPG gas cylinder, which used to cost Rs 440 under the UPA government, now costs up to Rs 950. He said that under the guise of the Ujjwala scheme, the poor are being scammed. Kerosene was discontinued in the name of free gas and the price of gas has now gone up to Rs. 950. In the last one year, the centre has hiked fuel rates at least 75 times.

“Since Narendra Modi came to power, there has been a focused programme to loot the poor and fill the pockets of the rich. As a result, fuel prices have skyrocketed in the country which has led to rise in inflation. Rising inflation, on the one hand, and an increase in unemployment, on the other, have made life difficult for the common man.

“The Congress party has repeatedly taken to the streets to protest against this artificial price hike, but the Modi government is engrossed in plundering the common man and filling the pockets of their industrialist friends. It does not care about the plight of the common man,” he said.

Congress party leaders, ministers, MLAs, office-bearers and public representatives will visit people's homes in cities and villages and interact with them. Information about all these programmes will be made available on the social media handles of state Congress and social media platforms will also be used for public awareness.

Reacting to a question on the ongoing confrontation between the state cabinet minister, Nawab Mallik, and former chief minister, Devendra Fadnavis, over the fallout and incidents related to the cruise drugs case, Patole said: “Both the leaders hold responsible positions and have accused each other of having links to the underworld terrorists. This has brought disrepute to the state. They should give evidence regarding their allegations.

“For the Congress party, fuel price hike, rising inflation and unemployment are important issues and we will be running a public awareness campaign regarding these issues and protest against the Modi government,” he iterated.