'PM Modi Playing Politics On Fuel Prices,' Says Oppn. BJP Slams 'Hypocrisy'

The Opposition alleged that Prime Minister Modi passed the buck on to the states to reduce VAT on petrol and diesel.

New Delhi: Launching a vitriolic attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Opposition on Wednesday accused him of playing politics during his meeting with the chief ministers on the Covid-19 situation by raising the issue of fuel prices.

The Opposition alleged that Prime Minister Modi passed the buck on to the states to reduce VAT on petrol and diesel.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray said the Central government owed Rs 26,500 crore to the state, PTI reported.

His remarks came after Prime Minister Modi said some states did not reduce VAT on petrol and diesel despite the excise duty cut by the Union government in November last year.

Accusing the Centre of a step-motherly treatment to Maharashtra, Thackeray emphasized that the state government was not responsible for the rise in petrol and diesel prices.

Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala too took potshots at Prime Minister Modi.

Demanding the Prime Minister to give an account of the Rs 27 lakh crore “collected” by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government from tax on petrol and diesel, Surjewala tweeted: “Modi ji, No criticism, No distractions, No Jumlas! Excise Duty during - Congress Govt Petrol - ₹9.48/litre Diesel - ₹3.56/litre Modi Govt Petrol - ₹27.90/litre Diesel - ₹21.80/litre Pl Roll Back the Excise Hike of ₹18.42 in Petrol & ₹18.24 per litre in Diesel.”

“Modi ji, No criticism, No distractions, No Jumlas! Please give an account of ?27,00,00,00,00,00,00 (?27 Lakh Crore) collected by BJP Govt from Tax on Petrol & Diesel,” he wrote on the micro-blogging platform.

Continuing his outburst against Prime Minister Modi, Surjewala tweeted: “26th May, 2014, when PM Modi assumed charge, the Crude was 108 US Dollar, but Petrol & Diesel was at Rs 71.41 and Rs 55.49 per litre, Today, Crude oil is US$ 100.20 per barrel, but the Petrol/Diesel prices have been increased to Rs 105.41/litre and Rs 96.67/litre in Delhi.”

“We will urge all states to decrease VAT on Petrol/Diesel to pre-May 2014 level. Please admit BJP Govt earned Rs 27 Lakh Crore from Petrol/Diesel while all states collectively received about 16.5 Lakh Crore. Central Govt revenue from Petrol/Diesel has doubled in 8 years,” he said in a series of tweets.

Shiv Sena leader Priyanka Chaturvedi on her part alleged that Prime Minister made the “COVID meeting about politics”.

“Making a COVID meeting about politics! The central government has earned 26 lakh Cr out of central excise on fuel, increased 18 times even when oil prices hit rock bottom. The GST share to states still owed, compensation component to state done away with&now pointing fingers,” Chaturvedi tweeted.

The BJP hit back at the Opposition for its comments against Prime Minister Modi stating its stance reeks of hypocrisy.

The ruling party at the Centre alleged that the Opposition-ruled ruled states were earning twice as much as the states ruled by the BJP for every litre of petrol.

“The CMs of MH, WB, TN, AP, Telangana, Kerala and Jharkhand reek of hypocrisy as their respective parties nonchalantly go on demanding a decrease in the fuel prices but when the ball is in their court, they charge high state tax on fuel to amplify the problems of common people,” BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra tweeted.

Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Modi flagged higher fuel prices in many Opposition-ruled states.

He urged them to reduce VAT in “national interest” to benefit the common man and work in the spirit of cooperative federalism in this time of global crisis.