Mumbai, April 6: The Congress and the NCP on Wednesday accused the Narendra Modi government of looting the poor as the prices of petrol and diesel were hiked again. Petrol and diesel prices were raised by 80 paise a litre each on Wednesday, taking the total increase in rates in 16 days to Rs 10 per litre.

“The Modi government continues to loot the poor through fuel price hikes! Petrol-diesel prices were increased by another 80 paise today with the prices going up by Rs 10 in two weeks,” Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole tweeted. Fuel Price Hike: Petrol, Diesel Prices Surge by 80 Paise; Total Increase Now Stands at Rs 10.

Patole termed the BJP government a “pickpocket”. NCP spokesperson Clyde Crasto also took to Twitter to hit out at the BJP, terming the saffron party “lootjeevi” (one which thrives on the loot).

Taking a swipe at the BJP, Crasto shared a cartoon, in which he likened the party to a cowboy holding fuel pump nozzles in both hands as if guns and training them towards a common man who has raised his hands out of fear.

The cowboy depicted in the cartoon has the BJP's poll symbol, the lotus, in the place of his face. “Enough of petrol-diesel price rise,” Crasto tweeted. NCP and Congress are constituents of the MVA government led by Shiv Sena.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)