NEW DELHI: With the opposition mounting pressure on the government over the hike in prices of diesel, kerosene and cooking gas, the Congress said Monday that hard decisions have sometimes to be taken in the national interest.
Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari said here that the issue needs to be looked at in a wider perspective and the country needs to find ways to reduce its dependence on hydrocarbons.
He said the party was sensitive to the issue of price rise but hard decisions have to be taken sometimes.
“Sometimes, hard decisions have to be taken in national interest,” he said.
He said 84 percent of the country’s crude oil requirements were being made through imports and there is need to rise over political considerations to decide on the energy policy of the country.
Tewari said the purpose of the India-US civil nuclear deal was also to bring down the dependence on hydrocarbons.
The main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Monday said it will raise the issue of hike in diesel and cooking gas prices in the monsoon session of parliament.
BJP leader Murli Manohar Joshi said the government was hiking the fuel prices to maintain its growth figures at the cost of the common man’s budget.
After the government hiked prices of diesel, kerosene and cooking gas last week, the Congress had asked party-ruled states to reduce taxes on petroleum products to give a reprieve to the common man.(IANS)