Congress leader and former Andhra Pradesh MP GV Harsha Kumar, on Tuesday, was seen riding a camel from his residence to Rajiv Gandhi Educational Institute in Rajahmundry, as a mark of protest against the rising fuel prices. In the visuals, the Congress leader can be seen riding the animal on the road as other vehicles pass him by. As of Tuesday, petrol is priced at Rs 87.24/ltr in Andhra Pradesh while the rate for diesel is 80.21/ltr.
#WATCH Andhra Pradesh: Congress leader and former MP, GV Harsha Kumar rides a camel from his residence to Rajiv Gandhi Educational Institute in Rajahmundry, as a mark of protest against the fuel price hike. (22.02.2021) pic.twitter.com/bBYn6vjfFO
— ANI (@ANI) February 23, 2021
Robert Vadra rides a bicycle
The Congress party has been actively protesting against the rising fuel prices with its leaders adopting newer modes of transportation every day. Yesterday, Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra’s husband Robert Vadra was seen riding a bicycle from Khan Market to his office. Hitting out at the Centre, Vadra asked Prime Minister Modi to come out from his A/C cars to see how people were suffering. “All he does is blame others (previous governments) for everything and move on.” Robert Vadra said on his way.
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Petroleum Minister addresses price rise
Earlier in the day, explaining the unprecedented rise in the rates of petrol and diesel, Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas and Steel Dharmendra Pradhan said that the hike in the price of crude oil in global markets was affecting fuel prices in India.
“International markets have reduced fuel production and manufacturing countries are producing less fuel to gain more profit. This is also one of the reasons that consumer countries are suffering. We have been appealing to the Organisation for the Petroleum manufacturing Countries (OPEC) to help stop this process. We hope there will be a change,” said Pradhan.
Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Rajasthan have witnessed the highest petrol price with people paying Rs 98.64 per litre, Rs 97.30 and Rs 97.10 respectively.
Meanwhile, while addressing an online event to inaugurate oil and gas projects in poll-bound Tamil Nadu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi revealed that India imported over 85 per cent of its oil needs in the 2019-20 financial year and nearly 53 per cent of its gas requirement. “Can we be so import-dependent? I don’t want to criticise anyone but I want to say (that) had we focussed on this subject earlier, our middle-class would not have been burdened,” PM Modi stated.
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Read: India’s Petrol & Diesel Rates High Due To Global Crude Rates & Demand Destruction: Pradhan