TNCC president K.S. Alagiri on Tuesday condemned the BJP government at the Centre over the continuous rise in fuel prices despite global crude oil prices trading around $48 per barrel.
Mr. Alagiri slammed the Centre, claiming that the BJP government was levying excise duty of 820% on diesel and 258% on petrol. “When the Congress was in power, despite crude prices being at record highs, the government did not increase the prices of petrol, diesel or cooking gas. The excise duty on petrol was ₹9.48 and on diesel was ₹3.56. But today, the Centre is levying excise duty of ₹32.98 on petrol and ₹31.83 on diesel. In the last six years, the Centre filled the government coffers just through excise duty, netting ₹19 lakh crore,” he said.
The TNCC leader said global crude prices were around $48. “On that basis, one litre of crude oil will be just ₹22.39. But petrol is being sold at ₹86 and diesel at ₹79, while cooking gas is being sold at ₹710. What right does the BJP have to torment the people of the country like this?” Mr. Alagiri asked.
He also alleged that the Centre had not deposited the subsidy for cooking gas to beneficiaries since May. He said if the government proceeded with increasing the price of cooking gas to ₹1,000, it would have to face severe protests by the Tamil Nadu Mahila Congress on behalf of the women of the country.
