Govt should shed its ‘arrogance’, reduce fuel taxes: Cong

NEW DELHI: The Congress on Saturday accused the Modi government of ignoring the woes of common man and asked it to shed its "arrogance" and reduce the tax imposed on petrol, diesel and LPG.

Addressing a press conference here, Congress spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi said the government should immediately roll back the additional taxes of Rs 23.78 and Rs 28.37 per litre on petrol and diesel respectively, which will help bring down fuel prices.

He quoted Prime Minister Narendra Modi's words as Gujarat chief minister to urge the government to reduce the high tax components on petroleum products. Singhvi said the common man is already hurt due to rising inflation and joblessness amid a decline in the economy post-pandemic.

The PM may ignore the Congress' demand, but he should at least listen to his own words as Gujarat CM during the UPA regime at the Centre, or may heed RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das's advice that the rising fuel prices will have a cascading effect, the Congress leader said.

"The Congress and the country urge you to listen to your own voice in bringing down petrol and diesel prices," he said, playing Modi's statements on petrol/diesel rates made during the UPA regime.

He also took a dig at Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman for saying she is in a dilemma over removing the tax on petrol and diesel, asking, "What is the 'dharam sankat' and impediment that even the finance minister cannot reduce fuel tax. Is the PM stopping the FM from doing so?

It is "shameful", Singhvi said, that while crude oil is 39.2 percent cheaper since May 2014, petrol and diesel under the Modi regime are 27.5 and 42.2 percent costlier.

He said it was "reverse coalition" where the global rates are coming down, but domestic rates are rising.