BJP MPs welcome Centre's move to slash excise duty on petrol, diesel

New Delhi, March 27 (IANS) BJP MPs Anurag Thakur and Hema Malini on Friday welcomed the central government's decision to slash excise duties on petrol and diesel by Rs 10 per litre each, bringing them down to Rs 3 per litre for petrol and zero for diesel, in a move aimed at cushioning the impact of surging global oil prices.

The reduction comes amid fears of a price hike due to the global energy crisis, triggered by the US-Israel conflict with Iran and the resultant blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.

Speaking to reporters outside Parliament, BJP MP Anurag Thakur said, "First of all, we express our gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for reducing the high excise duty on petrol and diesel. This will provide significant relief to businesses and common people at a time when petrol and diesel prices have surged globally."

He asserted, "India is perhaps the only country where the excise duty has been cut which has benefitted all Indians."

Moreover, Thakur accused the Congress of "burdening the voters by increasing Value Added Tax (VAT)".

He said, "On the other hand is the Congress party, which has previously too, in Congress-ruled states, burdened the public by increasing VAT."

He alleged that the Himachal Pradesh government is now preparing to impose an additional cess on petrol and diesel, which will directly hit the common man.

He said, "The Himachal Pradesh Congress government is also (working) in that direction. They have made a new law to implement Rs 5 cess on petrol and diesel. They are putting burden on common people."

However, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu has reportedly clarified that the government has not imposed the cess yet.

"This is the difference between Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP, who have decided in favour of the public and slashed excise by Rs 10 on diesel and petrol," he added.

Thakur also criticised Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, for his "khatakhat model" and claimed that the "public have to face inflation because of this (model)."

BJP MP Hema Malini also hailed the government's move to slash excise on petrol and diesel.

She told IANS, "This (slash of excise duty) is good for the public, and our government is doing the right thing."

Meanwhile, the government has clarified that retail pump prices of petrol and diesel will not change, and the excise reduction is not being passed on as a price cut at the pump.

Instead, it directly reduces the under-recoveries being absorbed by public sector Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) — Indian Oil Corporation, Bharat Petroleum Corporation and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation — who have continued to supply fuel to Indian consumers at prices well below their cost of supply, the Petroleum Ministry said.

At current international crude prices, under-recoveries stand at approximately Rs 26 per litre on petrol and Rs 81.90 per litre on diesel.

--IANS

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