Instead of holding protests against petrol price hike, Left govt should give tax relief, says Kerala Congress

Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president K Sudhakaran on Tuesday said that the CPI(M)-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) instead of agitating against the increase in fuel prices, should give tax relief to the people of Kerala.

"When the fuel price crosses Rs 100, the state government is collecting a tax of Rs 22.71 from the people. The Central government levies a tax of Rs 32.90. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan are robbing the people," he alleged.

Sudhakaran said that instead of providing relief to the people when the COVID-19 pandemic was raging, the focus of both the Centre and the State is only on adding money to the treasury.

"The Pinarayi government is turning a blind eye to the tax exemption of Rs 619.17 crore given by the UDF government in Kerala when fuel prices went up. They also do not want to see tax cuts by several state governments, including Rajasthan, Assam, Meghalaya and West Bengal. He absolved himself of his responsibility by blaming the Centre without even a single tax deduction," he alleged.

The state Congress president also said that the Pinarayi-led government opposes the inclusion of fuel prices in the GST, even though the tax would be drastically reduced.

"The Centre does not wish to see how UPA government controlled fuel prices by giving huge subsidies. During the UPA regime in 2008, when the price of crude oil was 145.31 dollars, the country kept petrol at Rs 50.62 and diesel at Rs 34.86. At present, the price of crude oil in the international market is 74 dollars, but prices in India are declining," he alleged.

( With inputs from ANI )