5/31/2018 1 paisa fuel price cut childish and in poor taste, says Rahul - The Hindu

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1 paisa fuel price cut childish and in poor taste, says Rahul

SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT
NEW DELHI, MAY 30, 2018 21:39 IST
UPDATED: MAY 30, 2018 21:39 IST

Congress president asks Prime Minister Narendra Modi whether the 1 paisa fuel price
cut was his idea of a prank.

Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi if the
one paisa reduction in fuel prices was “his idea of a prank” and described the move as “childish
and in poor taste.”
Mr. Gandhi, who is out of the country for his mother Sonia Gandhi’s annual health check-up,
took to Twitter to target the Prime Minister who, too, is on a five-day tour of three nations —
Indonesia, Singapore and Malaysia.

‘Not suitable’

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5/31/2018 1 paisa fuel price cut childish and in poor taste, says Rahul - The Hindu

“Dear PM, You’ve cut the price of Petrol and Diesel today by 1 paisa. ONE paisa!?? If this is your
idea of a prank, it’s childish and in poor taste. P.S. A ONE paisa cut is not a suitable response to
the #FuelChallenge I threw you last week,” tweeted Mr. Gandhi moments after oil marketing
companies “clarified” that the cut in fuel prices was not 60 paise to a litre but one paisa.
Newly appointed officer-bearers of the Congress’ youth wing took out a protest march to the
Parliament Street while the party asked the government to give an account of how it had spent
the 10 lakh crore windfall gain to the government from taxes on petroleum products.
“This is a poor joke on the people, even especially when the Modi government has spent over
4,000 crore just on publicity,” said Congress spokesperson R.P.N. Singh, who has been a
junior Petroleum Minister.
National secretary of the Communist Party of India (CPI) leader and Rajya Sabha MP D. Raja
called the cut in fuel prices a mockery of people’s sentiments.
“This shows the Modi government’s insensitivity towards people who are battling
unprecedented daily fuel price rise,” Mr. Raja told The Hindu.

Daily revisions
Over the past 16 days, when oil prices were being revised daily, the Opposition has been
targeting the Modi government. Last week, Mr. Gandhi tweaked the viral ‘fitness challenge’ on
social media to throw a ‘fuel challenge’ to the Prime Minister, asking him to reduce prices or
face nationwide protests.
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