BJP-led government brought down prices of petrol, diesel, Congress actions led to 'khata-khat' price rise in UPA: Hardeep Puri

New Delhi [India], June 17 (ANI): Hitting out at the Congress leaders in Karnataka seeking to target the Centre following the state government's decision to raise VAT on petrol and diesel, Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Monday also took a veiled jibe at Rahul Gandhi for his "khata khat" remarks during the Lok Sabha election campaign and said Congress had talked about reducing inflation but their actions had led to "khata-khat" rise in prices during UPA government.
Hardeep Puri highlighted the measures taken by the Centre to bring down prices of petrol and diesel and cited figures to state that the price of petroleum products was higher in states ruled by parties opposed to BJP. He said BJP-ruled states also reduced VAT following the decision of the Modi government to reduce excise duty and it resulted in a decrease in the prices of petrol and diesel.
The minister told ANI that India is the only country where prices of petrol and diesel over a representative period have come down.
He also targeted Congress-led UPA government for issuing oil bonds.
"Bharat is the only country, where prices of petrol and diesel over a representative period have come down, in the case of petrol by about 2 per cent or so and diesel by a little per cent instead of going up. How did we manage this? PM Modi reduced the excise duty levied by the Centre on two occasions, November 21 and May 2022. As a result, central excise duty came down and all the BJP states also reduced the VAT that they charged," he said.
"If you go into the VAT figures it becomes clear. The difference in price between Itanagar and Chennai is Rs 9.90 for petrol, between Lucknow and Telangana is Rs 12.76, between Gandhinagar and Bengaluru is Rs 8.21, between Panaji and Kerala is Rs 12.35, between Guwahati and Kolkata is Rs 6.80...Between 2004 and 2014, Congress introduced petrol bonds. They floated Rs 1.41 lakh crores and today we are having to pay back Rs 3.20 lakh crores," he added.
Hardeep Puri said the price of petrol and diesel at the bunk is determined in large part due to the international prevailing price because India imports 85 per cent of its requirements of crude oil.
"I have done some statistics. Between 2004 and 2014 the price of petrol and diesel in Bengaluru went up by 84 per cent . This is during the Congress time and in diesel, it went up by 111 per cent. Because the international price had gone up and to that, you add the cost of insurance, cost of freight, refining margin...In our time, from 2014 to 2024, there was turbulence in the international situation, there was a Russia-Ukraine war situation which is still going on, there was a problem closer to home in the Red Sea, attacks by Houthi rebels...Yet we have been able to navigate the international situation," he said.
Hardeep Puri said the decision of Congress-led UPA government to go for oil bonds was an "irresponsible step".
"Between 2004 and 2014, Congress introduced petrol bonds, which was an irresponsible step. They floated bonds of Rs 1.41 lakh crore and today we are having to pay back Rs 3.20 lakh crores. Today, they are compounding their lies and stating it as someone else's mistake. Congress had talked about reducing inflation khata-khat but their actions had increased the inflation"khata-khat," he said.
Earlier, on Sunday, in a post to X, Hardeep Puri had said that the Congress-led Karnataka government has saddled the people of Karnataka with the burden of paying Rs 3 per litre more for petrol and diesel in the state.
"After not fulfilling the promises of transferring Rs 8500/month to a woman of each family, Congress-led Karnataka government has saddled the people of Karnataka with the burden of paying Rs 3/litre more for petrol and diesel in the state," Puri said in a post on X.
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Monday said that Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Janata Dal (Secular) (JDS) should direct their protests against the central government over the rising fuel prices.
"Today BJP and JDS are protesting as petrol and diesel prices have increased (in Karnataka). But, they don't have to protest against the state government. They must protest against the Centre," Siddaramaiah said.
The Congress government in Karnataka increased VAT on petrol and diesel on Sunday which triggered a war of words between the Congress and BJP leaders. (ANI)