NEW DELHI: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday launched a fresh attack on the government over rise in fuel prices, saying the truth about the government collecting high revenues from petrol and diesel is clear now.
"By collecting tax indiscriminately on LPG-petrol-diesel from the common people, the central government is waiving the taxes and debts of its 'friends'. The truth is clear," he said in a tweet in Hindi.
He cited a news report claiming that petroleum minister Dharmendra Pradhan in a reply in Parliament stated that in the last 7 years, LPG rates have doubled and tax collection on petrol and diesel has risen by 459 per cent in the same period.
Gandhi and his Congress party have been attacking the government over high fuel prices, alleging that it has collected over Rs 21 lakh crore by way of taxes on petroleum products ever since coming to power in 2014.
The Congress stalled proceedings in both houses of Parliament for the second day in a row on Tuesday over the rise in prices of petroleum products and demanded a discussion on the issue.