Coming down heavily against the ruling BJP both at the Center and the State Leader of Opposition and JMM executive president Hemant Soren demanded inclusion of petrol and diesel under the GST regime immediately.
He placed the demands citing spiraling fuel prices which are breaking all records every day. “Fuel price hike is getting serious every day. The Center and the State Governments are imposing tax terrorism on the people of this country who have got nothing in terms of income generation, employment over the last four years.
Since not only poor, farmers but every person from middle and lower class are facing a tough time we demand that commodities like petrol and diesel be brought under the GST and the State Government should immediately slash VAT by 50 per cent,” said Soren addressing a press conference on Thursday.
Referring to comparative tax figures, the JMM leader said that during the UPA tax income from every liter was Rs 19 which has doubled now. He also claimed that during the four year stay in power the NDA ruled Government has collected over Rs 10 lakh crore from just taxing the commodity.
“The common man is crumbling under the price rise of fuel. The Government instead of raising their income is busy in looting them from both hands.
Petrol which should have been priced at Rs 38-40 is being sold at Rs 80-85. If this is not terrorism then what is,” said the fuming Leader of Opposition in the House and termed the situation ‘horrendous’.
Displaying a poster released by the BJP ahead of 2014 election campaign criticising the incumbent UPA for fuel price rise, Soren also alleged that the BJP-led Governments are working for its corporate friends. Soren at the same time threatened for pubic stir on this issue.