Congress, BJP spar over fuel price hike in Karnataka

Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], June 16 : The revised fuel prices in the Congress-ruled state of Karnataka have triggered a war of words between the Congress and BJP leaders days after the results of the Lok Sabha elections results were announced.
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said on Sunday that the government remains committed to keeping fuel prices reasonable for their citizens and said despite the VAT hike, diesel prices in Karnataka are still lower than in Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh.
"The Government of Karnataka has increased VAT on petrol to 29.84 percent and on diesel to 18.44 per cent. Even after this hike, our state's taxes on fuel remain lower than most South Indian states and similar economy-sized states like Maharashtra. In Maharashtra, the VAT on petrol is 25 per cent plus Rs 5.12 additional tax, and on diesel, it is 21 percent. Karnataka's revised rates are still more affordable," CM Siddaramaiah told reporters here.
"Despite the VAT hike, diesel prices in Karnataka are still lower than in Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh. We remain committed to keeping fuel prices reasonable for our citizens. The then double-engine BJP government collaborated to divert Karnataka's resources to other states. The state BJP govt (previous) kept reducing VAT on petrol and diesel while the Central govt increased its taxes," CM added.
Earlier in the day, Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri said that the Congress-led Karnataka government has saddled the people of Karnataka with the burden of paying Rs 3 per litre more for petrol and diesel in the state.
"After not fulfilling the promises of transferring Rs 8500/month to a woman of each family, Congress-led Karnataka government has saddled the people of Karnataka with the burden of paying Rs 3/litre more for petrol and diesel in the state," Hardeep Puri said in a post on X.
Karnataka Leader of Opposition and Bharatiya Janata Party Leader R Ashoka said that the BJP will mobilise bullock carts and bikes and organise a stir in front of the Vidhana Soudha on Monday to protest against the fuel price hike by the state government.
R Ashoka said, "We are against the increase in petrol and diesel prices by the state Congress government. Tomorrow, we are going to protest at Freedom Park in Bangalore at 11:30 am. This protest will be led by BJP State President BY Vijayendra and myself. We are going to protest against the Congress government across the state. The Congress government has increased the price of petrol and diesel because people did not vote for the Congress party in this Lok Sabha election."
Culture and Tourism Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat in a post on X said, "Clearly the @INCIndia top leadership is finding it difficult to digest that #Modi3.0 is reality now. The ghosts of its #khatakat guarentees have now begun to haunt them. Instead of accepting defeat across the nation with grace, they are arm twisting people who elected them also with fuel price hike. People have begun to see through their sham of a government that is crumbling under the pressure of its own unscientific schemes. And here is their national President oblivious to the rot within & day dreaming of forming a govt".
The increase in the price of petrol and diesel comes following an official notification from the Government of Karnataka, which indicates a revision in the sales tax levied on petroleum products.
The price of petrol has surged by Rs 3, bringing the cost per litre in Bengaluru to Rs 102.84, up from the previous rate of Rs 99.84. Similarly, the price of diesel has increased by Rs 3.02, raising the cost per litre from Rs 85.93 to Rs 88.95.
According to the Petroleum Dealers Association, the price has increased because the state government has revised the sales tax in the state, which is levied on petroleum products in the state.
According to the notification, the sales tax on petrol has been increased from 25.92 percent to 29.84 percent, while the tax on diesel has risen from 14.3 percent to 18.4 percent by the state government.