The excise duty cut comes on Diwali eve which will help bring down the skyrocketing fuel prices (File)
The Congress on Wednesday hailed the people for showing the "mirror of truth" to the "tax-parasitic" Narendra Modi government after excise duty on petrol and diesel was cut by a record Rs 5 and Rs 10 per litre respectively to help bring down rates down from their highest-ever levels.
The reduction follows an unrelenting hike in international oil prices pushing pump rates across the country to their highest-ever levels. While petrol is above Rs 100-a-litre-mark in all major cities, diesel has crossed that level in more than one-and-a-half dozen states.
It comes on the eve of Diwali which will help bring down the skyrocketing prices of fuel and provide some relief to the common man battling inflation.
"Kudos to people for showing the mirror of truth to the tax-parasitic Modi Govt! But do remember, in May 2014 the price of petrol was Rs 71.41, diesel was Rs 55.49 per litre and crude Oil was USD 105.71 per Barrel. Today, crude oil is USD 82 per barrel," the Congress' chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said.
When will the prices equate to what those were in 2014, he asked.
"Congress Govt: Excise on Petrol Rs 9.48/litre. Excise on Diesel Rs 3.56/litre. Modi Govt: Excise on Petrol Rs 32.90-Rs5.00 = Rs 27.90/litre. Excise on Diesel Rs 31.80-Rs 10.00 = Rs 21.80/litre," he tweeted.
In a series of tweets, Mr Surjewala said, "Modi ji, Nation doesn't need "jumlas", roll back the draconian tax hike! Please see the Jumlas of "Modi-nomics"! In the year 2021, the price of petrol was hiked by Rs 28 and diesel by Rs 26 per litre."
"After losing in 14 bye-elections and two Lok Sabha seats, reducing petrol-diesel price by Rs 5 and Rs 10 is tom-tommed as "Diwali Gift" of Prime Minister Narendra Modi."
Congress general secretary, organization, K C Venugopal said with the relentless protests by his party and after putting people through unimaginable misery the Modi government finally reduced the exorbitant excise duty on fuel.
"But little mercies cannot hide their failure to protect our people. What reason do they have for doing too little too late?" he posed.
The BJP on Wednesday hailed the central government's decision to reduce petrol and diesel prices as Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Diwali gift, with party chief J P Nadda saying it will boost consumption and keep inflation low.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)