Two days after the Centre slashed the excise duty on petrol and diesel, the BJP Friday hit out at opposition parties for not reducing the Value Added Tax and accused them of doing "petty politics" over high fuel prices. It said the Opposition attacks the Centre over high prices of diesel and petrol but not follows suit when the Union government slashes the excise duty. Addressing a press conference here, BJP spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia said the states ruled by the party have slashed VAT on the fuel to add to the relief provided to the common man by the Centre, but the states ruled by the opposition parties like the Congress, Trinamul Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party have not done so.

"If the Centre and BJP-ruled states can give relief to people, then why not the Congress-ruled states," Bhatia asked, alleging they were "cruel and incompetent". Noting that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had dubbed the Central government "pickpocket" over the high fuel prices and used the "extortion" barb at it, the BJP leader said it appears that there is no bigger "pickpocket" than the Congress.

The VAT on petrol in the Congress-ruled Rajasthan is Rs 32.19, and it is Rs 31 in the opposition alliance-ruled Maharashtra now compared Rs 21.86 and Rs 20.46 in the BJP-ruled Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand, Bhatia said. The Modi government had slashed excise duty on petrol and diesel prices by Rs 5 and Rs 10 on the eve of Diwali.

The central government, Bhatia added, has used taxes collected from people for nation-building and people's welfare. Direct benefit transfer of Rs 19 lakh crore has been done, he said, adding that the poor have been given free ration as well.

"The decision to reduce fuel prices shows the BJP governments' sensitivity and consideration towards people," he said.