Author Chetan Bhagat, known to be quite active on social media with his critical tweets on various government schemes, was active only until 2013 it seems. He tweeted several times about rising petrol prices when the UPA government was in office, but, after the reckless hike in petrol prices under the Narendra Modi government—petrol costs Rs 74.40 per litre now, and diesel Rs 65.5 today—the author is yet to say a single word. He tweets about stone-pelting in Kashmir, unemployment, and lauds various NDA government’s initiatives but has ignored this one bit which has burdened many Indians.
With the crude prices expected to rise in the coming days, the Modi government will have a tough time protecting the GDP and curbing inflation. “India’s central bank (RBI) estimates oil at $78 a barrel would shave off 10 basis points from its 7.4 percent forecast for gross domestic product growth in the year to March 2019,” a Bloomberg report said. “Moreover, it expects costly crude could stoke inflation by 30 basis points.”
Petrol pumps closed after 8pm? To reduce demand? Dude, people are buying fuel, not whisky!
— Chetan Bhagat (@chetan_bhagat) September 1, 2013
There were many Tweets by @chetan_bhagat on Petrol Price hike. Not one tweet on Petrol since 2014. Looks like he is relying on Hydrogen Fuel these days. pic.twitter.com/hsACzzXwjE
— Mohammed Zubair (@zoo_bear) May 8, 2018
Bhagat, meanwhile, has been defending the depreciating value of Rupee in terms of Dollars in his tweets:
You are an editor at a news channel and don't understand currency moves or interest rate parity? That tweet is from 2013. 60-67 is 2.2% depreciation per annum, well below $-INR interest rate differential. Think before u troll please. https://t.co/CkqSqQhoqP
— Chetan Bhagat (@chetan_bhagat) May 8, 2018
Whereas under the UPA when it was Rs 60 per dollar, he said it is mayhem.
Rupee at 60. It is mayhem. Close to an economic crisis. But well, the government is silent.
— Chetan Bhagat (@chetan_bhagat) June 20, 2013