Oppn steps up pressure on govt to cut fuel prices

The parties have also instructed their district secretaries to conduct regular demonstrations and protests to campaign against the BJP-led Centre for not bringing fuel under the GST ambit. 

On the state government delaying fuel price reduction due to poor financial situation, Leader of Opposition Edappadi K Palaniswami said the DMK made the promise only after knowing the financial position and it was clear from their announcement that they will speak differently before and after polls. 

PMK youth wing leader Anbumani Ramadoss said that the state government was taking umbrage under the BJP-led Centre on the fuel price and this had exposed the double stand of the DMK. “The party wanted to slash the petrol price when it was in the Opposition and now not willing to reduce the price,” Anbumani said. AMMK general secretary TTV Dhinakaran condemned the statement of Finance Minister PTR Thiyagarajan and said, “State Finance Minister had dismissed the immediate possibility of slashing the increasing fuel prices, this is against the poll manifesto of the DMK. After forming the government this is an act of cheating the public.” When other states can reduce the fuel price to check inflation, why Tamil Nadu cannot reduce the petrol and diesel price? wondered Dhinakaran. 

There is no doubt that the Centre has a role in bringing down the price of fuel, but the state government should also take steps to bring reduce fuel prices and rates of other essential commodities, he tweeted. The AIADMK and TN BJP units had also started issuing politically loaded statements seeking the DMK to abolish NEET as promised in the DMK poll manifesto. The BJP-led Centre is yet to commit to slashing the fuel price and the scrapping of NEET.