Petrol prices breaking its own records touched 87/= mark at Delhi

A day after the steepest ever rise, the prices of petrol and diesel were once again hiked on Saturday across the four Metro cities, taking the price of petrol beyond Rs 80 in the national capital.

The prices of petrol and diesel were hiked between 38 paise and 49 paise across New Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai and Chennai, according to the Indian Oil Corporation (IOC).

In Delhi, the price of petrol is resting at a record Rs 80.38 per litre, while it is being sold at Rs 87.77 per litre in Mumbai after a hike of 39 paisa.

Diesel, on the other hand, has been increased by 44 paisa a litre, taking its cost to Rs 72.51 and Rs 76.98 per litre in Delhi and Mumbai, respectively.

On Friday, petrol and diesel rates were hiked by about 50 paisa per litre each, which came as the steepest increase in prices since daily price revision came into effect over 14 months back, pushing the petrol and diesel prices to their highest ever levels on Friday.

Opposition calls protests against rising fuel prices

Congress has called a Bharat Bandh on September 10 to protest against the escalating fuel prices.

The Congress on Friday hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, asking whether petrol prices would hit the century mark under his government and if the rupee was in hospital.

Congress spokesperson R P N Singh said all political parties would take to the streets to protest against the rising prices of petrol and diesel that are hitting the common man hard and questioned the prime minister’s silence on the issue.

He said the September 10 ‘Bharat Bandh’ protest is “not of the Congress but of the common man”.

“The prime minister during the UPA’s tenure had said that the rupee is in hospital. The rupee has touched an all-time low against the US dollar, where is the prime minister now? He is neither tweeting nor giving any speech. Never has the rupee touched such low levels in the history of the country. The country wants to ask him why is he silent? Is the rupee in hospital today?” he asked.

The Congress will organise a nationwide protest on September 10 over rising fuel prices, party leaders had announced Thursday and asked other opposition parties and civil society groups to join the shutdown against the central government.