The BJP on Monday lashed out at the Bengal Government for failing to follow the example of Prime Minister Narendra Modi by slashing taxes on petrol and diesel and threatened a prolonged movement if Chief Minister would not take immediate measures to address its demands.

In a hard-hitting statement Bengal Opposition Leader Suvendu Adhikari said “after the Prime Minister generously took a lead in reducing excise duty on petrol and diesel following which all the BJP-ruled States including an economically weak state like Tripura … reduced VAT on fuel but this Bengal Government which has been shedding crocodile tears over rising fuel prices has decided against doing so … today we have protested inside the State Assembly and tried to take out a rally from our State party office but Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s police acting like a slave has stopped us from doing so.”

The police jammed all the routes through which the saffron MPs and senior leaders would take out a rally leading to heated arguments between the two sides in front of the BJP State office. Getting tricked and trapped by the cops the leaders and about a thousand cadres were then forced to disperse from the starting point of the procession.

Asking the Chief Minister to follow in the footsteps of her Uttar Pradesh counterpart Yogi Adityanath, the Bengal BJP leader said “we want Mamata Banerjee to learn a lesson from UP Chief Minister or else we assure you that we will intensify our movement and force this Government to slash oil prices.” Attacking Banerjee for “talking big and thriving on dole and subsidy politics” the BJP leader said “in UP Adityanath Government has created 4.5 lakh jobs whereas in Bengal this Chief Minister instead of filling up 10.5 lakh Government posts is reducing the voters into beggars by indulging in dole and subsidy politics … this will take Bengal nowhere towards our Prime Minister’s dream of Atma Nirbhar Bharat (self reliant India).”

He warned the State Government to reduce the power tariff too failing which the BJP will start a prolonged movement in the State. “When Mamata Banerjee came to power the power tariff was around Rs 3-4 now it has gone to about Rs 10 … we warn her to take steps to cut power tariff or else we will start a prolonged movement,” he said.

On why the Centre was not bringing petrol and diesel under GST regime Bengal BJP president Sukanto Mondal said that the question should better be asked to the chairperson of the GST council and not the BJP.

“The chairman of the GST council is the honourable and able Finance Minister of Bengal Amit Mitra … it is he who should be asked this question … why he did not take steps to bring petrol within GST … the Centre is ready to do it but it is the State Governments like the one in Bengal that have to respond favourably,” he said.