P Chidambaram assaults government on high petroleum prices

New Delhi, Apr 20 Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram today slammed the Modi government over the high petrol prices, saying it has become clueless and floundering and is living off an oil bonanza.

In a progression of tweets, the previous Finance Minister said the BJP brags that it is administering 22 states however for what reason does the NDA government decline to bring oil and oil based goods under GST.

"For the last four years, the BJP government has lived off an oil bonanza. Short the oil bonanza, the BJP government is clueless and floundering. Indeed, even a school child knows the answer. It is a direct result of the 'Tax the Consumer' approach of the BJP government," he said.

Chidambaram said crude oil cost at USD 74 for every barrel are still lower than USD 105 four years prior. "Along these lines, why are Petrol/Diesel costs higher today than they were in May 2014?," he inquired.

Petrol cost has hit a four-year high of Rs 73.83 a litre, while diesel rates touched an all-time high of Rs 64.69 in the national capital on rising global oil rates.

The BJP-drove government had raised excise duty nine times between November 2014 and January 2016 to shore up accounts as worldwide oil costs fell, however then cut the expense only once in October a year ago by Rs 2 a litre.

Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan last fortnight had said the GST Council - the pinnacle basic leadership body of the new aberrant expense administration - ought to "in light of a legitimate concern for vitality security and customers" incorporate oil based commodities in GST.

Petrol, diesel, natural gas, crude oil and jet fuel (ATF) are right now excluded in the GST, which basically prompts makers not having the capacity to set-off duty paid on contributions from final tax on item.