Asked about inflation, Bharatiya Janata Party leader Ramratan Payal told a journalist to “go to Taliban” because fuel is available for Rs 50 in Afghanistan. Payal is the party’s president for Katni district in Madhya Pradesh.
A video of his statement was widely circulated on social media.
The politician made the statement at a tree plantation drive organised by BJP’s youth wing Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha on Wednesday, NDTV reported.
“Go to Taliban. Petrol is Rs 50 [per litre] in Afghanistan, but there’s no one to use it,” Payal said to journalists. Urged to discuss inflation in India without invoking the situation in other countries, Payal said, “At least there is safety in India. The third wave of Covid-19 is about to hit us. The country is going through a tough time, and you are talking about petrol prices.”
Also on Wednesday, Payal’s party colleague, Bihar MLA Haribhushan Thakur, declared that anyone in India who feels scared in India should go to Afghanistan. He too added that petrol and diesel are cheaper there.
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