Ruling alliance partner Shiv Sena on Friday asked the BJP-led Maharashtra government to seek a roll back of the one per cent hike in excise duty proposed by the Centre on non-silver jewellery.
Jewellers and bullion traders across the country have been on a strike for a month, demanding withdrawal of the budgetary proposal.
“It has become difficult for jewellers to carry on their trade,” Sena MLA Sunil Prabhu said in the Legislative Assembly.
Nationalist Congress Party’s Jayant Patil said the Central government has been neglecting the striking jewellers, despite the fact that BJP supported traders before coming to power.
Members of the treasury benches rushed to the Well of the House after the Opposition raised question over Centre’s stand on the ongoing agitation by jewellers.
The House was adjourned for 10 minutes amid noisy scenes.
Earlier this week, the Executive Committee members of the All India Gems and Jewellery Trade Federation (GJF) had called on Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray in the context of their strike.
After meeting them, Uddhav had said that if government can hold talks with Pakistan, then why can it not do so with the jewellers. —PTI
