Arvind Kejriwal
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of forcing fuel pump owners to go on strike despite oil prices being lowest in the national capital among the four metros.
He also demanded that the petrol and diesel must be included in the Goods and Services Tax (GST) regime.
"The BJP has threatened the petrol pump owners that those who will not take part in the strike today will have to face income tax raids. The oil companies have also threatened the pumps for action. BJP should stop troubling Delhi people. This is hooliganism," he tweeted.
“We demand that petrol and diesel should be included in the GST. Why has the Central government not brought petrol and diesel under GST?" he added.
"Oil prices lowest in Delhi amongst the four metros. Why aren't petrol pumps in Mumbai, which has the highest prices, on strike? Because Mumbai is BJP government and BJP is behind today's strike in Delhi. BJP must apologise to the people of Delhi," Kejriwal said in another tweet.
In protest against Delhi government's refusal to reduce VAT on fuels, in the national capital, all 400-odd petrol pumps along with linked CNG dispensing units will remain shut on Monday, said the Delhi Petrol Dealers Association (DPDA) in a statement.
For nearly 24 hours (from 6 am onwards on October 22 to 5 am on October 23), all of them will remain closed in protest, it said.
DPDA president Nischal Singhania said, "The central government had slashed the rate of petrol and diesel by Rs 2.50 per litre each on September 4. This was followed by reduction of VAT (value added tax) by various states including neighbouring Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, bringing relief to their residents.
"But, the Delhi government refused to reduce VAT on fuel both petrol and diesel resulting in fuel becoming more expensive than bordering Haryana and Uttar Pradesh."
In comparison to Delhi, fuel rates in bordering states like Uttar Pradesh and Haryana are cheaper, he said.
Because of low prices in states like UP and Haryana, customers are deserting the petrol pumps in Delhi leading to huge drop in sales, Singhania said.
There has been a sharp drop of 50-60 per cent in sale of diesel in Delhi and 25 per cent in petrol in this quarter, due to difference in prices, the DPDA president said.
(With inputs from agencies)
