Modi govt is looting India with 'monstrous taxes': Cong

New Delhi, Aug 31: The Congress today accused the BJP government of selling petrol and diesel to other nations at far cheaper rates than to Indian citizens and alleged the people, who were suffering due to the all-time high prices, would give it a befitting reply in elections for this "betrayal".

Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala claimed the common man was suffering due to spiralling prices of such products and the government had "looted" the country of over Rs 11 lakh crore due to levy of "monstrous taxes".

"The Modi government is selling cheap petrol and diesel to foreign countries, as Indians suffer due to the all-time high prices," he said. "The monstrous taxes being levied by the government have resulted in the skyrocketing petrol and diesel prices. The Modi government has already profited by over Rs 11 lakh crore from draconian taxes on fuel," he alleged in a statement.

The Congress leader claimed the petrol and diesel prices were at an all-time high and the common man, the middle class, the farmers, the transporters and small and medium businesses were bearing the brunt of it. "Petrol and diesel in India are available in the range of Rs 78-86 and from Rs 70 to 75 respectively, but an RTI reply revealed the Modi government is selling petrol to 15 countries at just Rs 34 per litre and diesel to 29 countries at Rs 37 only. These include England, Australia, America, Malaysia and Israel. This is how the government betrayed and backstabbed the people of India," he alleged.

Surjewala claimed in July 2017, the Congress had demanded that petrol and diesel be brought under the ambit of the GST, but the government and the BJP refused to listen. "Now, the people of India will answer the BJP by giving it a befitting reply in the upcoming elections," he said.

The Congress leader alleged the excise duty of petrol was just Rs 9.2 per litre in May 2014, while it is Rs 19.48 per litre now. He claimed the excise duty of diesel was just Rs 3.46 per litre in May 2014 to Rs 15.33 per litre now. The central excise duty has been hiked 12 times since the BJP came in to power. He said the prices of essential commodities were burning holes in the budgets of the all Indians and the people would "not forgive and forget" the government for the "fuel loot" and they "will give a befitting reply to the BJP in the forthcoming elections".

He said while skyrocketing diesel prices of Rs 70.26 per litre in Delhi were impacting farmers' lifeline, besides a stinging effect on the runaway food inflation, the prices of petrol which touched a high of Rs 78.57 per litre in Delhi had gravely impacted the transportation and commuting cost of the common man. He said the prices of petrol and diesel in the country's financial capital Mumbai had touched Rs 86 per litre and Rs 74.59 respectively owing to taxes imposed by the BJP governments in the Centre and the State.

PTI