TDP national president N. Chandrababu Naidu on Saturday demanded that Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy fulfil his election promise of making petrol and diesel available in the State for the lowest price in the country.

At a press conference, Mr. Naidu questioned the Chief Minister’s silence, pointing to the fact that other States were reducing the burden on the people by slashing the fuel price.

Going by his word given in the past, Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy should slash the prices by ₹16 to ₹17 per litre on petrol and diesel to make fuel cheapest in the country, Mr. Naidu demanded.

Compared with Chandigarh, the rate of petrol was higher by ₹16.75 and diesel by ₹16.10 in Andhra Pradesh. In comparison with Lucknow, people in Andhra Pradesh were paying ₹15.70 more for petrol and ₹10.20 for diesel, Mr. Naidu said.

Protest on Nov. 9

The Chief Minister owed an explanation on why fuel rates were highest in the State contrary to his promise of making them lowest, Mr. Naidu said.

The TDP would launch a protest against the “exorbitant fuel prices” on November 9 to highlight the problems faced by the people on this count, besides issues of bad roads and absence of road safety network, Mr. Naidu said. The TDP cadres would stage an hour-long dharna at petrol bunks from 12 noon, he added.

In the past, Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy had said that the people of the State were crossing the border to buy petrol from Karnataka where it cost them less.

“Now, the cost of petrol is lesser in Karnataka by ₹10.42. Similarly, the cost of diesel is lesser in Bengaluru by ₹12,” Mr. Naidu said, and questioned, “What will Mr. Jagan say about this?”

Following the Union government’s announcement slashing the excise duties on petrol and diesel by ₹5 and ₹10 respectively, many States had followed suit and brought down the prices further to give relief to the people, Mr. Naidu observed.

“But people in Andhra Pradesh, who are already under tremendous financial pressure, have no relief on this count too,” said Mr. Naidu.

Farmers’ padayatra

Mr. Naidu said there was an overwhelming response from all sections to the ‘maha padayatra’ by the Amaravati farmers, who had been relentlessly fighting in support of their demand that Amaravati be allowed to continue as the only and single capital of Andhra Pradesh.

“But Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy is out to ruin the State. People will not keep quiet for too long. If he tests their patience like this, they will soon show the YSRCP government the door,” Mr. Naidu said.