Roll back fuel price hike: Jayalalithaa

Chennai: AIADMK general secretary, J. Jayalalithaa, on Friday demanded the Centre to intervene and roll back fuel price hike. In a strongly-worded statement, she condemned the Centre  for remaining inactive on the issue and reiterated her earlier demand for withdrawing powers vested with oil companies to regulate fuel prices.

Pointing out that prices of essential commodities would surge affecting common man and the downtrodden if fuel prices went up, she said the public were agitated over the uncertainty that prevailed on the oil price front. Twice in a month, oil companies, citing global scenario and the weakening of the rupee, revised fuel prices.

When crude oil prices dipped, the Centre and oil companies prevented the public from enjoying the benefits and now when the prices surged, the public were forced to suffer, she said. Ms Jayalalithaa cautioned that the BJP was following the Congress-led UPA by adopting “anti people policies” on petroleum issues. Raising oil prices frequently is not agreeable as it will fuel inflation.