THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: With fuel prices being hiked daily, including a 35 paise increase in petrol price on Monday, Leader of Opposition in the Kerala Assembly V D Satheesan asked the Centre not to "torture" citizens in this manner.
He said the benefit of drop in global crude prices was being denied to people due to the continuous increase in the additional excise duty on petroleum by the central government.
"Benefit of decreasein global crude prices is being denied to consumers here due to continued increase in additional excise duty on petroleum by the central government," he said on a Malayalam news channel.
"The central government should stop torturing people like this," Satheesan added.
The Congress leader also urged the Kerala government to help citizens by providing a fuel subsidy.
With the 35 paise increase in petrol rates, price of the fuel has breached the Rs 100 mark across the state.
Based on the increase in excise duty, the taxes levied on fuel by the state governments also go up, he said.