Tamil Nadu government blames Centre for fuel price rise

Chennai: For the first time, the mouthpiece of the ruling AIADMK lashed out at the BJP-led government at the Centre accusing it of steeply increasing the prices of fuel.

 The Namadhu Puratchi Thalaivi Amma also accused the BJP of meting out “step motherly” treatment to the non-BJP ruled states. 

The paper assailed the Centre a day after the Congress-led ‘Bharat Bandh’ on fuel prices which the AIADMK did not support, was held. It was also critical of the rupee depreciation. 

The party wondered if such issues prompted a woman “to raise slogans against BJP state president Dr. Tamilisai Soundararajan on a flight (in Thoothukudi) recently.

 “The government doesn’t understand the common man’s concern that fuel prices will spur hike in overall prices. The middle class is losing sleep over the increasing LPG prices,” the article said. 

“People of lower rungs are pained hearing about the cylinder (LPG) rates. The government at the Centre is acting as if it is not aware of this,” it said.

 On the rupee depreciation it said this was affecting industry, resulting in attrition and job loss. The article said there was tax burden due to unprecedented GST slabs of 28 per cent (on certain goods). In this backdrop, the Centre was “adamant” that it will not provide any cut in duty on petrol and diesel, it said.