Robbed farmers: AAP slams BJP for raising fuel prices day after 'token MSP hike'
AAP accused the Centre of hurting farmers and consumers by raising petrol, diesel and CNG prices after a modest paddy MSP increase. The party said the hike would raise cultivation costs and household expenses, and demanded a rollback.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Friday launched a sharp attack on the BJP-led central government over the recent hike in petrol, diesel and CNG prices, alleging that the move would further burden farmers and common people despite a marginal increase in the minimum support price (MSP) for paddy.
Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema accused the Centre of “robbing farmers” by increasing fuel prices a day after announcing a "modest MSP hike" for paddy.
In a post on X, Cheema said the central government increased petrol and diesel prices by Rs 3 per litre while raising the MSP for paddy by only Rs 72 per quintal. He alleged that the BJP government had “effectively robbed farmers of their rightful compensation” by giving what he described as a token MSP hike and then increasing diesel prices the very next day.
Calling the move a “direct assault on farmers’ incomes”, Cheema said the BJP’s “anti-farmer and anti-people face” was now visible to everyone.
AAP also targeted the BJP by sharing an old advertisement from 2014 on inflation during the UPA government. In its post on X, the party questioned whether the BJP itself was unhappy with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s functioning, asking why the old video still remained on the party’s YouTube channel if the BJP leadership supported the current government’s policies.
The party further questioned whether the latest fuel price hike meant that “Modi government itself increased petrol, diesel and CNG prices” and alleged that the prime minister had “left the country in crisis and gone abroad again”.
AAP Punjab also organised protests against the fuel price hike. In Jalandhar, party leaders and local residents staged demonstrations, raised slogans and held placards against the BJP-led Centre.
AAP Punjab described the Modi government as “shameless” over rising inflation and accused it of increasing the burden on the public through higher fuel prices.
Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal, MLA and chief spokesperson of AAP Punjab, said the MSP for paddy had increased by only 72 paise per kilogram while diesel prices had gone up by Rs 3.11 per litre. He said the increase in diesel prices would not only hurt farmers during the paddy season but also push up the prices of daily-use goods for common people.
Dhaliwal questioned whether the Punjab BJP would explain to the people of the state the reason behind what he termed “discrimination and high-handedness”.
Punjab Cabinet Minister and AAP Punjab president Aman Arora also criticised the Centre over the fuel price hike. He condemned the increase in petrol, diesel and CNG prices and expressed concern over rising expenses during the paddy season.
Arora alleged that despite claims of doubling farmers’ income, the government had instead increased the financial burden on farmers. He demanded that the Centre roll back what he described as an “anti-people decision”.