PM Narendra Modi travels on Delhi Metro Airport Express Line on Thursday
Highlights
- Government blames high fuel prices on rising cost of crude oil
- PM Narendra Modi took metro ride to Delhi's Dwarka
- Congress took a swipe, says high fuel price led PM Modi to take metro
The Congress has taken a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi's metro ride to a residential area in south-west Delhi, a move that some commuters saw as an attempt to avoid creating traffic jam due to VVIP movement on Delhi's congested Outer Ring Road.
The prime minister's 14-minute ride on Delhi Metro's Airport Express Line, however, failed to convince the Congress that it had any benefit for anyone. The Congress brought in fuel price rise into the picture to deliver its message with a touch of sarcasm.
The party led by Rahul Gandhi has been targeting the Modi government over runaway fuel prices, and had even called a "Bharat bandh" or nationwide shutdown last week.
The government has blamed high fuel prices on the rising cost of crude oil and a weakening rupee.
States like Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan and West Bengal last week cut taxes on fuel to reduce the burden, but the central government has so far not done so.
Taxes on petrol and diesel, which account for more than a third of retail fuel prices, are one of the biggest sources of income for state and central governments.
On Thursday, PM Modi took the metro to Dwarka, 25 km from central Delhi, where he laid the foundation stone for a convention centre.
The commonly used route to reach Dwarka from south and central Delhi is via the Outer Ring Road, which also goes toward the airport. This road, however, has been narrowed to a single lane at several stretches due to construction work. A large VVIP motorcade passing through this road would possibly create a long traffic jam.