JAIPUR: Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Monday attacked the BJP-led Central Government over its excise duty policy, accusing it of being unfair to the states and the people of the country and saying, "They are cheating the people of the country."
Gehlot said that the basic excise duty, which is distributed to the states, has almost been eliminated. In its place, the Central Government has introduced new excise duties, including additional excise duties 1, 2, and Cess, which are not being distributed to the states. He accused the Central Government of diverting all the money into the Centre's account, thereby depriving the states of their rightful share, he alleged.
"The government of India is playing a game. The basic excise duty that is distributed to the states has almost been finished, and the new excise duty, including the additional excise duties 1, 2, and Cess, is not being distributed to the states. They are taking all the money into the centre's account. They are cheating the people of the country," said the Rajasthan CM while speaking to the media.
Comparing BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh with Rajasthan, Ashok Gehlot said that the excise duty in Madhya Pradesh is higher than in Rajasthan.
"The excise duty in Madhya Pradesh is higher than in Rajasthan. The prices of petrol and diesel are higher in MP, but they will not compare this. They need to bring down the excise duty," Gehlot asserted.
Further, the Congress leader alleged that "all the BJP leaders, PM Modi, and Union Ministers keep saying almost the same thing all through the day. They will not talk about what we did for the public and what we could not do in the last 5 years."
Rajasthan will go to the polls on November 25, and the counting of votes will be held on December 3, 2023, along with the other four states: Mizoram, Telangana, Chhattisgarh, and Madhya Pradesh.
In the 2018 assembly elections, the Congress won 99 seats, while the BJP finished at 73 seats in the 200-member House. Gehlot took the oath as CM with the support of BSP MLAs and independent legislators.