To condemn the Centre over petrol prices breaching the ₹100-mark in the state, the Congress staged agitations in various districts and tehsils. The Congress leaders from the state said the agitation would be intensified if the price hike was not rolled back. The Congress leaders said petrol and diesel are being sold at high prices because of the exorbitant duty levied on them and the Centre has earned hefty revenue out of it over the past few years.
Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole, relief and rehabilitation minister Vijay Wadettiwar led the agitation in Gadchiroli, party MP Balu Dhanorkar in Chandrapur, minister of state for home Satej Patil in Kolhapur, while party’s working president Arif Naseem Khan headed it in Thane.
“The general public is facing hardship because of the high taxes on the petrol levied by the Centre. It has aggravated the problems of the common people who have already been facing financial crisis due to job losses amid Covid-19 pandemic. The Congress-led UPA government had successfully kept the petrol diesel prices under control despite high crude oil prices in the international market. Modi government has levied exorbitant taxes and duties on petrol and diesel,” Patole said.
Satej Patil said the Centre earned about ₹20 lakh crore from the high excise duty on petrol and diesel in the past seven years. He said that to make it worse, the Modi government has levied the road cess of ₹18 per litre on petrol resulting in unprecedented hike in prices.
The Bharatiya Janata Party however termed it an attempt of diverting the attention of the people from the pandemic, which has led to more than 100,000 deaths in the state. “The Congress and other parties should also talk about it. Chief minister Uddhav Thackeray has been appealing to political parties not resort to agitation and crowding. He has been talking about not politicising the issue of Covid-19, but Congress leaders are busy seeking political gain out of the current situation,” said BJP spokesperson Keshav Upadhye.
{{/usCountry}}The Bharatiya Janata Party however termed it an attempt of diverting the attention of the people from the pandemic, which has led to more than 100,000 deaths in the state. “The Congress and other parties should also talk about it. Chief minister Uddhav Thackeray has been appealing to political parties not resort to agitation and crowding. He has been talking about not politicising the issue of Covid-19, but Congress leaders are busy seeking political gain out of the current situation,” said BJP spokesperson Keshav Upadhye.
{{/usCountry}}Maharashtra BJP chief Chandrakant Patil said instead of blaming the Centre, the state in Maharashtra should waive the taxes levied by it. “Other states have reduced their duty and taxes to keep the petrol prices below ₹100 a litre. The Thackeray government should do it first before blaming the Centre.”
Stay updated with all the Breaking News and Latest News from Mumbai. Click here for comprehensive coverage of top Cities including Bengaluru, Delhi, Hyderabad, and more across India along with Stay informed on the latest happenings in World News.
Stay updated with all the Breaking News and Latest News from Mumbai. Click here for comprehensive coverage of top Cities including Bengaluru, Delhi, Hyderabad, and more across India along with Stay informed on the latest happenings in World News.