BJP slams Congress, calls it biggest 'pickpocket' in country

The ruling party responded Rahul Gandhi's tweet from a few days ago in which the senior Congress leader hit out at the Centre for rising fuel prices

On Friday, the BJP slammed Congress and called the party the "biggest pickpocket" in the country.

The BJP also hit out at Opposition parties for not reducing the Value Added Tax and accused them of doing "petty politics" over high fuel prices. It said that the Opposition attacks the Centre over high prices of diesel and petrol but not follows suit when the Union government slashes the excise duty.

Also Read | 'I'm a woman, I can fight': Priyanka Gandhi aims to revive Congress

Addressing a press conference here, BJP spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia said the states ruled by the party have slashed VAT on the fuel to add to the relief provided to the common man by the Centre, but the states ruled by the opposition parties like the Congress, Trinamool Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party have not done so.

Noting that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had dubbed the Central government "pickpocket" over the high fuel prices and used the "extortion" barb at it, the BJP leader said it appears that there is no bigger "pickpocket" than the Congress.

Quoting the National Spokesperson for BJP, Gaurav Bhatia, the ruling party tweeted in Hindi, "On 1 November, Rahul Gandhi tweeted – Beware of pockets. Rahul Gandhi ji, it seems that there is no bigger pickpocket in the whole country than Congress. The pickpocket has become a Congress party, but why do you do their vulture politics with it?"

Gandhi and Congress have been extremely critical of the government over the rise in fuel prices.

"If the Centre and BJP-ruled states can give relief to people, then why not the Congress-ruled states," Bhatia asked, alleging they were "cruel and incompetent".

The VAT on petrol in the Congress-ruled Rajasthan is Rs 32.19, and it is Rs 31 in the opposition alliance-ruled Maharashtra now compared Rs 21.86 and Rs 20.46 in the BJP-ruled Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand, Bhatia said.

Also Read | Wish Modi government had sensitive heart for public: Rahul Gandhi slams Centre over price rise issue

The Modi government had slashed excise duty on petrol and diesel prices by Rs 5 and Rs 10 on the eve of Diwali.

The central government, Bhatia added, has used taxes collected from people for nation-building and people's welfare. Direct benefit transfer of Rs 19 lakh crore has been done, he said, adding that the poor have been given free ration as well.

The decision to reduce fuel prices shows the BJP governments' sensitivity and consideration towards people, he said.

(With PTI inputs)

Watch the latest DH Videos here: