Akali Leaders Ask Cong To Reduce Tax on Petrol Diesel by Rs 10 Per Liter
The Shiromani Akali Dal today asked the Congress leaders in Punjab to stop trying to stop distracting the attention of the people of Punjab from the miserable failures of their party’s government in the state and instead to ask their government to reduce its massive share of taxes in prices of diesel and petrol by Rs 10 per liter.
“If the Congress party’s government in Punjab took this initiative, then its moral claim to seek a similar reduction from the centre will be strengthened. Even a 50% reduction in state share of taxes will immediately bring the prices down by at least Rs 10 per liter, And in that case, we will support the Congress demand from the center and would even accompany them to Delhi to demand a matching reduction in central taxes on petrol and diesel to bring down prices for the common people by Rs 20 per liter. That will be a huge relief.
The ball is in the Congress court. If they want to disprove the allegation of hypocrisy against them, here is their opportunity. Let them accept our offer to provide this big relief to the people of Punjab,” said the Akali leaders, S. Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa, S. Balwinder Singh Bhunder and Dr Daljeet Singh Cheema in a joint statement here this afternoon.
They were reacting to a statement by the Congress leader Sunil Jakhar in which he had said that the Akalis should ask the center to reduce petrol and diesel prices.
“Taxes on petrol and diesel in Punjab are the highest in the country, putting an extraordinary and unbearable burden on the people of the state. The Congress leaders must stop trying to befool the people by shedding crocodile tears on rising prices of petrol and diesel and to take the initiative to help the people with a concrete reduction in state taxes on these products “The Akali leaders said
The Akali leaders lashed out against the state unit Congress president Sunil Jakhar and said he was trying merely to improve his falling stock in his own party. “This is their standard practice. They fight their internal battles by using the foulest language against the Akali leaders only to impress their High Command, especially the anti-Sikh Nehru-Gandhi clan. But they are unable to impress anyone in the state, said the SAD leaders.
Mr Dhindsa, Mr Bhunder and Dr Cheema said that the people of Punjab were reeling under the miserable failure of the Congress government on every front.
The Cong government has stabbed every section of society in the back. They have shamelessly gone back on all their promises. They began with the massive betrayal of the farmers, going back on the commitment for a complete loan waiver. In fact, they reduced the promise to a joke by issuing checks worth ranging from Rs 5 to Rs 100, which the farmers refused to take.
Where are jobs for every household as promised? Which youth has received the promised Rs 2500 monthly unemployment allowance? Has the old age pension been raised to Rs 1500 as promised by the Congress in its manifesto? They betrayed the youth on jobs for every house, and on free mobiles. The Cong government then betrayed poor Dalits by completely backing out of their commitment to raise Shagun scheme amount from Rs 15000 to Rs 51000?
Be it the traders or businessmen or the employees, every section of society is feeling the painful impact of the Congress betrayal, And Mr Jakhar hs the cheek to criticize the Akalis” said the Akali leaders.
They said that the Congress leaders must translate their empty words of sympathy for the people into concrete governmental steps on petrol and diesel prices. They must prove their own sincerity on the hypocritical concern and sympathy for the people in general and for the farmers and other poorer sections in particular. “The best way for the Congress leaders in Punjab to disprove their hypocrisy is to ask its government to take the concrete step of foregoing 50% of its share in taxes on petrol and diesel. This will bring the prices of the two products by Rs 10 per litre each,” said the Akali leaders.
