Thiruvananthapuram, May 15 (IANS) Senior CPI(M) leader and former Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Friday launched a sharp attack on the Centre over the latest increase in fuel prices, describing the move as a cruel betrayal of the people at a time when inflation and rising living costs are already pushing ordinary families into severe financial distress.

In a strongly worded statement, Vijayan accused the Union government of imposing an additional burden on common citizens instead of offering relief.

He said the decision to raise petrol and diesel prices by Rs 3 per litre each would trigger another round of price escalation across sectors, further worsening the hardships faced by workers, farmers and middle-class households.

The former Kerala Chief Minister alleged that the Centre has failed to pass on the benefits of lower international crude oil prices to consumers when global rates had declined.

Now, he said, the government was citing losses suffered by oil companies as justification for increasing fuel prices.

According to Vijayan, the move reflected policies aimed at protecting corporate interests at the expense of ordinary people.

He also linked the latest fuel hike to the continuing rise in cooking gas prices and shortages in LPG supply, claiming that flawed policies of the Central government had already made everyday life difficult for millions of households.

Instead of intervening to reduce the burden on people struggling with inflation, the government has chosen to intensify their misery through repeated price hikes, he alleged. Vijayan warned that the latest increase in fuel prices would have a cascading effect on transportation charges and the prices of essential commodities, adding further pressure on household budgets across the country.

He argued that governments were expected to support citizens through effective policy measures during difficult economic conditions, and not worsen their suffering through repeated increases in fuel costs.

Demanding immediate intervention, Vijayan called upon the Centre to withdraw what he termed an “unjust decision that amounted to plundering the people to protect corporate interests”.

–IANS

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