As Petrol Price Hike Triggers Massive Protests

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Allies not on board; even Congress-ruled States unhappy; Jaipal called back from Turkmenistan to attend EGoM meet[/font][color=#3B3A39][font=Georgia,]
An embarrassed and unhappy Congress, faced with countrywide protests against the massive hike in petrol prices, expressed the hope on Thursday that a way out would be found. “The party is hopeful that some kind of a modus vivendi involving the Central government, the State governments and the oil companies will be arrived at,” party spokesman Manish Tewari said, adding: “We are hopeful that the government would find a way out to provide relief to the common man.”[/font][/color]
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But with Indian Oil Corporation Chairman R.S. Butola (who took all questions on the issue with the government taking the line it had nothing to do with the price hike as petroleum prices had been de-regulated) ruling out a rollback at the moment as there was neither a “proposal,” nor a “situation” nor indeed had any of the “stakeholders” asked the oil companies to reduce prices, the situation looked grim. Even though he added that if international prices of crude came down, the benefit would be passed on to the consumer.[/font][/color]
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