The BJP organised State-wide protests in Andhra Pradesh on Saturday demanding that the State Government immediately reduce Value Added Tax on petrol and diesel and provide relief to the people.
Leader of the Opposition and Telugu Desam Party president N Chandrababu Naidu, separately, held a press conference and demanded that Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy keep his word and bring down the prices of petrol and diesel to the lowest level in the country.
BJP state president Somu Veerraju, who led the protest in Rajamahendravaram, said the Centre has cut the Excise Duty on petrol and diesel by Rs 5 and Rs 10 a litre respectively.
"Several states across the country have reduced VAT on fuels following the Centre's call. The Jagan government blamed the Centre for spiralling fuel prices, but when the latter provided relief in the form of Excise Duty cut, why is the state not following that?" he asked.
Veerraju said the BJP would step up the agitation with people's support if the State Government did not reduce VAT on petrol and diesel forthwith. BJP cadres organised protests at all district Collectorates on the petro price issue. At his press conference, the TDP chief recalled Jagan's claims, when he was then in the opposition, that he would bring down the petro prices to the "lowest in the country".
