Vijayawada: CPI state secretary K Ramakrishna demanded that the Central government abolish the excise duty imposed on petrol and diesel to reduce their prices and immediately withdraw the increased cooking gas prices.

Ramakrishna in a statement here on Tuesday, congratulated people who made the statewide protests successful demanding the withdrawal of the Rs 50 increase in cooking gas prices by the Central Government.

The Narendra Modi government at the Centre is continuously increasing the prices of essential commodities, petrol, diesel, and cooking gas, imposing a heavy burden on people, he said.

“The Central government increases petrol and diesel prices when international crude oil prices rise but it fails to reduce them when crude oil prices drop. The increase in petrol and diesel prices imposes a burden on the transport sector, leading to repeated hikes in the prices of essential commodities. Now, raising petrol and diesel prices by Rs 2 each under the pretext of excise duty is deplorable,” he said and strongly condemns the Rs 50 increase in cooking gas prices, which places a massive burden on the public.