Rahul Gandhi Mocks PM Narendra Modi Over 1 Paisa Cut in Petrol, Diesel Prices, Terms Move Childish Prank

Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday launched a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the cut in petrol and diesel price.

New Delhi, May 30: Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday launched a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the cut in petrol and diesel price. “If this is your idea of a prank, it’s childish and in poor taste,” he said while mocking PM Modi over reducing the petrol and diesel price by 1 paisa.

“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,” he tweeted.

Earlier in the day, the reduction in petrol and diesel prices was revised to just 1 paisa a litre each, with state-owned oil companies blaming clerical error for previously announcing a cut of up to 60 paise. Petrol in Delhi now costs Rs 78.42 per litre and diesel Rs 69.30.

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. https://t.co/u7xzbUUjDS

— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) May 30, 2018

State-owned oil companies on Wednesday morning had announced reduction in petrol price by 60 paise to Rs 77.83 a litre and diesel by 56 paise to Rs 68.75 in Delhi. Within hours of the announcement, they revised the cut to just 1 paisa a litre each.

“The reduction was supposed to be 1 paisa but due to a clerical error the price prevalent on May 25 was communicated as today’s price,” a senior official of Indian Oil Corp (IOC), the nation’s largest fuel retailer, explained.

The marginal reduction comes after 16 consecutive price increases since May 14 when fuel retailers ended a 19-day pre-Karnataka poll hiatus to pass on a spike in global oil rates.

In all, petrol price was increased by Rs 3.8 per litre and diesel by Rs 3.38 in that fortnight.

Prices vary from state to state depending on local sales tax or VAT. Delhi has the cheapest price among all metros and most state capitals.

Last week, the Congress chief dared PM Modi to accept the ‘fuel challenge’, asking him to reduce the regularly increasing fuel prices or face agitation. His challenge came hours after Modi received, and accepted, the fitness challenge extended to him by cricketer Virat Kohli.

“Dear PM, Glad to see you accept the @imVkohli fitness challenge. Here’s one from me: Reduce Fuel prices or the Congress will do a nationwide agitation and force you to do so. I look forward to your response.#FuelChallenge,” Gandhi tweeted.

(With inputs from PTI)