Hardeep Puri blames state govts for rising fuel prices; Says Centre has not hiked rates

On Thursday, Union Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs and the Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri visited the poll-bound West Bengal and campaigned for BJP ahead of the upcoming by-elections in the Bhabanipur constituency. While speaking to PTI on the rising fuel prices in the country, he blamed the state governments for it. Further, he added that the price of petrol in West Bengal has crossed the Rs 100-mark because of the heavy taxes imposed by the Mamata Banerjee-led TMC government. 

Answering the question on the rising fuel prices, he said, "If your question is 'do you want the petrol prices to come down' then the answer is 'yes'. Now, if your question is 'why the petrol prices are not coming down', then the answer is because the states don't want to bring it under GST."

The Petroleum Minister also said that the Centre has been charging Rs 32 from the very beginning when the fuel price was USD 19 per barrel and also now when it is USD 75 per barrel. However, the West Bengal government has increased the prices of petrol by Rs 3.51 due to which its cost has now crossed the highest ever mark. The combined taxation is also around 40 per cent in West Bengal, Puri added. 

Petroleum minister Hardeep Puri visits poll-bound West Bengal 

Petroleum minister Hardeep Singh Puri is on a visit to West Bengal ahead of the upcoming by-polls in the Bhabanipur constituency. He has been actively campaigning for BJP candidate Priyanka Tibrewal, who will be contesting the Bhabanipur seat. On Thursday, he when met the vendors and shopkeepers of the constituency and campaigned in support of the BJP. 

The Minister also took to Twitter and shared images from his visit to Bhabanipur and further asserted that there is a strong undercurrent of support for the BJP candidate in the state. Earlier on Wednesday, he paid a visit to a local Gurudwara and then went for door-to-door campaigning for BJP. He also spoke about BJP candidate Tibrewal and said that she has all the right qualifications and potentials for the position and will strengthen the seat.

(With inputs from agencies) 

(Image: PTI)