COIMBATORE: BJP State president Tamilisai Soundararajan requested the State Government to reduce State tax and bring down the prices of petrol and diesel in Tamil Nadu.Speaking to journalists at the Coimbatore International Airport in the city, she said that the Central government is levying 30 per cent tax and the State government is levying 50 per cent on petrol and diesel products and she has already written a letter to the State government seeking reduction in the tax.
“The Central government is taking all necessary steps to reduce petrol and diesel prices. Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has been requesting the State governments to include petrol and diesel products under GST (Goods and Services Tax). We can’t say that increasing petrol and diesel prices are a setback to Centre,” she said.
On the Cauvery issue, she said, “The Central government presented its draft Cauvery Management Scheme to the Supreme Court and it helped retrieve Cauvery rights to Tamil Nadu. However, it is not right on DMK leader MK Stalin’s part to announce celebration of M Karunanidhi’s upcoming birthday as a ‘Cauvery victory’. The DMK has not done anything to get Cauvery water even during their regime and it has only been implemented by the present BJP government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Apart from celebrating this victory, as well as explaining the various public welfare schemes of the Central Government, the party is conducting a public meeting across 40 Lok Sabha constituencies in the State,” she said.
Questioning the TN opposition parties’ silence even after Karnataka Chief Minister designate HD Kumaraswamy statement on discussing and resolving Cauvery water issue, she said, “Usually, DMK leader M K Stalin wears black shirt. Is he ready to participate in H D Kumarawamy’s swearing-in ceremony in protest against Kumaraswamy’s peaceful talks on Cauvery issue?”
When asked why party functionary SV Sekar, who abused woman journalists, was yet to be arrested, she said that the question must be directed to senior police officials. “We have asked him to appear before the discipline committee within the party. He has not turned up. There is no relationship between the party and SV Sekar’s comment,” she said and refused to comment further about the issue