Varanasi: Former petroleum minister Ram Naik on Saturday blamed "instability" in fuel prices on constant change of ministers in the ministry and said the BJP would take to the streets to protest the petroleum price hike.
"Neither are the prices of petroleum products stable, nor is the ministry. Four ministers have been changed in the last eight years," he told reporters yesterday.
Increasing prices of petrol and diesel affects the lives of common men directly, and the country is struggling with inflation and corruption because the UPA government has no proper policy, he said.
Naik said the BJP will hold a National Executive meeting on March 2 and 3 in the national capital, where corruption and inflation will be the main agenda.
He said Railways consumes 24 per cent of diesel in the country while 22 per cent is consumed by the state transport vehicles, and hiking diesel prices will increase inflation.
He also pointed out that the common man had to shell out considerably more for petrol as compared to the cost paid by airline companies for jet fuel.
Praising the policies of the NDA regime, he said the then government had ensured that five per cent ethanol was mixed in petroleum products to offset the fuel prices.
But, the UPA government has stopped the practise under pressure from the liquor lobby, he alleged.
Petrol price was yesterday hiked by Rs 1.50 per litre and diesel by 45 paise.
PTI
