E-Paper
'Will force Mamata to reduce VAT on fuel': BJP hits out at West Bengal govt
On the eve of Diwali, the Centre announced a reduction in central levies on petrol by ₹5 a litre and diesel by ₹10 a litre, which was seen as a major relief for consumers amid the spike in fuel prices.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday targeted the Trinamool Congress (TMC) government in West Bengal for not slashing the Value Added Tax (VAT) on petrol and diesel. The BJP threatened that it would force chief minister Mamata Banerjee to reduce VAT on fuel prices.
The BJP had earlier announced that it would take out rallies in West Bengal for five days starting Monday, demanding a reduction in VAT. On Monday, BJP leaders clashed with police in Kolkata after the party workers were stopped from proceeding. Several leaders and workers of the opposition party in West Bengal were detained during the clashes, a police officer told news agency PTI.
Also Read| ‘Will ask Mamata to reduce tax if…’: TMC leader counters BJP on petrol prices
“We’ll force chief minister Banerjee to reduce the VAT. Police might try to stop us but we’ll fight them,” state BJP chief Sukanta Majumdar said, adding that the TMC government stopped the BJP rally because they were "afraid."
Echoing Majumdar's remarks, the leader of opposition in Bengal Suvendu Adhikari said that rallies will be held at any cost.
Pointing out that the TMC's double standards have been exposed, Adhikari, a former protege of Mamata Banerjee told PTI, “Not just the Centre, several other states have slashed taxes to bring down the fuel prices, but the TMC government which pretends to be pro-people is yet to do the same.”
BJP leader Dilip Ghosh also hit out at the TMC by saying that the latter was most worried about the surge in fuel prices, but now it did not even issue any response in this regard. “Reduce the VAT if you (TMC) are so concerned about people's problems,” Ghosh said.
On the eve of Diwali, the Centre announced a reduction in central levies on petrol by ₹5 a litre and diesel by ₹10 a litre, which was seen as a major relief for consumers amid the spike in fuel prices. Till now, over 20 states and Union territories have undertaken a commensurate reduction of VAT.
However, several opposition-ruled states including West Bengal, Delhi and Maharashtra among others have not reduced VAT.
Also Read| BJP questions Opposition ruled states for not cutting excise on fuel prices
In Bengal, the ruling TMC accused the Centre of indulging in cheap politics over fuel tax as its inertia in stemming the skyrocketing prices of petrol, diesel and LPG had been exposed. TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh said on Saturday that the cut in VAT was too little, too less.
Maintaining that the revenue realised from fuel tax by the Centre is far more than that of states, Ghosh further suggested that some parity should be maintained.
(With agency inputs)
