Maharashtra govt must reduce 50 per cent tax on petrol & diesel: BJP

Ghuge said in a statement that, after looting thousands of crore rupees from the pockets of the people, once again Thackeray government has thrown dust in the eyes of the people by making a paper fuss about the reduction of value added tax (VAT) on petrol and diesel by Rs 2.08 and Rs 1.44 respectively.

Reducing the excise duty on petrol and diesel for the second time in the last six months by the central government, the Thackeray government has made a cruel mockery of the people of the state by reducing it by Rs 1.5 to Rs 2, he pointed out.

In Maharashtra, the state government levies a tax of Rs 32.55 per liter on petrol and Rs 22.37 per liter on diesel.

Despite the central government's call for tax cuts and reduction of state taxes, the Thackeray government did not reduce taxes, but instead continued politics with unnecessary arguments.

He said that Mahavikas Aghadi government was playing a double game of holding protests in the name of inflation on the one hand and looting the people without tax deduction on the other hand.

The Thackeray government has reduced the tax on liquor by 50 per cent, giving a big boost to liquor producers.

However, he also alleged that the people were denied relief by slashing petrol prices by just Rs 2, despite knowing that lower fuel prices would bring down inflation.

He demanded a 50 per cent reduction in the state's VAT on petrol and diesel, similar to the concessions given to foreign liquor,added Ghuge.