The announcement was followed by 22 states and union territories ruled by the BJP and its affiliated parties cutting VAT rates in varying proportions.
The Bharatiya Janata Party on Sunday, November 7, 2021, announced that it would hit the streets in West Bengal for five days from November 8 and demand that the Mamata Banerjee government reduce the Value Added Tax (VAT). on petrol and diesel.
Read also: Why is Tamil Nadu government silent on reducing state tax on fuel: Annamalai
State BJP vice-president Raju Banerjee said the party would take out a rally from its headquarters at around 1 pm on Monday.
“Our State President Sukanta Majumdar, Leader of Opposition, Suvendu Adhikari, National Vice President Dilip Ghosh and other senior leaders will participate in the rally which will follow the COVID-19 protocol. If the police try to stop us, we will act accordingly,” he said.
Mr Banerjee did not disclose the route of the proposed protest rally.
BJP will take out similar programs in different blocks of the state from October 9 to 12.
Since the issue is “very urgent”, the party cannot wait till the end of Chhath Puja and Jagadhatri Puja to start the agitation, Mr Banerjee said.
The central government had cut excise duty on Wednesday, November 3, 2021. To provide relief to consumers suffering from record-high prices of retail fuel at ₹5 per liter on petrol and ₹10 per liter on diesel.
The announcement was followed by 22 states and union territories ruled by the BJP and its affiliated parties cutting VAT rates in varying proportions. However, states ruled by parties opposing the BJP did not reduce taxes on fuel.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was vocal about the hike in fuel prices, but she and the TMC fell silent after the Center reduced excise duty on the eve of Diwali, the state BJP vice president said.
“If he is so pro-poor, why can’t our chief ministers emulate states like Assam and Uttar Pradesh, and cut VAT and other surcharges on the two products to provide relief to the people. Like this The taxes are spent on organizing fairs and donating to the clubs,” said Mr. Raju Banerjee.
TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh said on Saturday, “BJP is playing cheap politics on fuel prices as its inertia has been exposed to check skyrocketing prices of petrol, diesel and LPG. It has marginally reduced excise duty on petrol and diesel. of, all right! But it’s too little, too little.”
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