Jaipur, Sept 10: Bharatiya Janata Party leader Rajkumar Rinwa, who is a Minister in the Vasundhara Raje-led Rajasthan government, issued a shocking recommendation to those affected by the unprecedented surge in petrol and diesel prices. According to Rinwa, the general populace should "cut down consumption, reduce expenditure" to absorb the impact of soaring international crude oil prices.

Rinwa said the Narendra Modi government is leaving no stone unturned to minimise the burden on the common people. However, he added, the consumers should also make adjustments at a time when global circumstances are responsible for the price rise.

"The price of petrol and diesel is determined by the crude oil rate prevailing in the world market. Government is trying, but the expenditure is going up. There are floods in all corners of the nation. People should understand...if the crude rate goes up, you have to reduce the consumption," he said.

Notably, the crude oil rate is hovering around $76-per barrel. In contrast, the international oil prices were as high as $120 per barrel in September 2013, when the UPA was in power. However, the maximum rate of petrol then charged was Rs 84.14 per litre in Mumbai, whereas, it has now peaked to 88.12/litre in the city.

While Rinwa has called for austerity measures, senior BJP leader Subramanian Swamy has issued a veiled attack on his government, claiming that the macroeconomic price of petrol should not be more than Rs 40.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 10, 2018 03:10 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).