Thiruvananthapuram (Keralam) [India], June 6 (ANI): Keralam Pradesh Congress Committee President and State Power Minister Sunny Joseph on Saturday said that the committee has decided to launch protest programmes against the 'continuous' hike in fuel prices.

Speaking with the media, he said that the first meeting under the new KPCC leadership expressed gratitude towards the public for supporting Congress.

'The first KPCC leadership meeting after the formation of the new Cabinet was held. The meeting expressed gratitude to the voters of Keralam for delivering a historic victory to the Congress. It also conveyed special thanks to party leaders, including Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi, and KC Venugopal, for their support and assistance. The meeting decided to launch strong protest programmes against the continuous hike in petroleum product prices,' he said.

The KPCC chief also expressed commitment towards fulfilling the election promises made to the public, including the introduction of welfare and developmental schemes.

'The KPCC meeting has expressed heartfelt gratitude to the general public and the voters of Keralam for having elected us with a vast majority, and we are hopeful that we will be committed to fulfilling the promises given to the public in the election, including the Indira Guarantees and other developmental and welfare activities,' he said.

Furthermore, he clarified the controversy over the alleged appointment of his relative to the personal staff, stating that the person was appointed on merit.

Joseph expressed disappointment over the harsh criticism of the appointment by the media and said that the opposition did not raise the issue in the state assembly.

'The controversy over appointing my relative to my personal staff is unfortunate. The appointment was not made on the basis of our relationship. There are no specific eligibility or disqualification criteria for appointments to the personal staff. No test or interview was conducted for the appointment. As a minister, I appointed a person who could assist in the functioning of my office. I myself disclosed that he is my relative. I did not expect the media to criticise the appointment so harshly. The Opposition has not raised this issue in the Legislative Assembly. The media is reporting that I was criticised over this matter, even though it was neither discussed nor raised at the KPCC meeting,' he said.

Earlier last week, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge attacked the Centre over rising fuel prices, questioning the rise in petrol and diesel rates despite a decline in global crude oil prices.

In a post on X, Kharge accused the government of burdening the common man while continuing to profit from fuel taxes and price hikes.

'Hath kangan ko arsi kya padhe likhe ko farsi kya' Kharge wrote, while targeting the BJP-led government over inflation and fuel pricing.

Referring to figures cited in an official statement by the Press Information Bureau (PIB), Kharge said that when Prime Minister Narendra Modi assumed office on May 26, 2014, crude oil prices stood at USD 108.05 per barrel and the rupee-dollar exchange rate was Rs 58.59.

'At that time, petrol was available at Rs 71.51 and diesel at Rs 56.71 per litre. Today, the price of crude oil is less than USD 99 per barrel, but the prices of petrol and diesel have risen to Rs 102.12 and Rs 95.20 per litre, respectively,' Kharge said. 'In other words, crude oil has become cheaper, but petrol has become about 42.8 per cent more expensive, and diesel about 67.9 per cent more expensive,' he added.

Kharge further stated that rising petrol and diesel prices affect every sector of the economy, increasing inflationary pressure on transportation, food items and essential commodities. (ANI)