A verbal spat erupted between the BJP and the ruling Congress in Chhattisgarh on Saturday over a cut in excise duty on petrol and diesel.
The Bharatiya Janata Party state President on Saturday said even after a reduction in the excise duty, no cut in fuel prices has been carried out by the state government.
Sai demanded that the state should also reduce the taxes.
Countering it, Sushil Anand Shukla of the Congress Communication wing said the BJP should ask the Modi government to roll back the excise duty to the level from where the hike started.
The BJP leaders called this a politically motivated demand.
Shukla said Chhattisgarh as compared to Madhya Pradesh, Odisha and Maharashtra imposes lesser excise duty on fuel. Therefore, fuel prices are lower when compared to these states.
Shukla said a reduction of Rs 5 and Rs 10 on petrol-diesel is inadequate. During Covid-19 period, the hike totalled around Rs 30 and Rs 33 for petrol and diesel respectively. So, the central government can further reduce it to the pre-hike level.