Madurai
Bharatiya Janata Party urban district leader P. Saravanan accused the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam of taking double standards with respect to its poll promises and their implementation.
Addressing a protest seeking the State Government to reduce value-added tax on fuel prices here on Monday, Mr. Saravanan said that the DMK had demanded the then AIADMK Government to give ₹ 30,000 per hectare for the paddy crops that were lost in floods.
"However, the DMK after coming to power was offering only ₹ 20,000 per hectare now," he said.
He said that while the Centre was giving higher subsidy for the rice supplied through ration shops, the State Government was trying to make it look like that the State Government was offering rice for free.
"The State Government was usurping the credit of the Centre in various development and welfare schemes. We want that the portrait of Prime Minister Narendra Modi be displayed in all the ration shops and other Government departments where Centre was making a significant contribution," he said.
Claiming that the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Government in the Centre was forced to increase the fuel price due to the debt burden created by the previous Congress-led Government, Mr. Saravanan said that despite that the Centre had reduced the fuel price by ₹ 5 and ₹ 10 respectively on a litre of petrol and diesel.
But, the DMK was refusing to reduce the VAT on fuel. "It has promised to reduce higher amount of VAT on fuel, but has till now implemented the promise only partially," he said.
He claimed that the BJP would win the post of Mayor in Madurai Corporation during the urban local body polls to be held soon.
Party leaders Maha. Suseendran and A.R. Mahalakshmi were among those who took part in the protest. BJP cadres travelled in a bullock cart and rode on a horse to highlight the burden of high fuel price on the common man.
