The first reaction has come from Congress on Friday regarding the government reducing excise duty on petrol and diesel to help oil companies. Terming this decision of the government as election-related, Congress said that the cut has been made in view of the assembly elections in four states and one union territory.

Jairam Ramesh said – should wait till 30th April

Party General Secretary Jairam Ramesh has taken a jibe. He said that people should wait till April 30. The second and final phase of elections will be held in West Bengal on 29 April.

The Congress leader said in a post on Twitter that when global crude oil prices fell, as it did on seven separate occasions in the last 12 years, consumer prices in India did not fall. Today’s announcement is due to the assembly elections. Wait till 30th April.

Kheda said – relief to consumers only in stories, not in reality

Apart from Jairam Ramesh, Congress media department head Pawan Kheda also posted on X. He said that if you saw the headlines about reduced prices of petrol and diesel and thought that the government has given relief to your pocket, then you are wrong. At present, the prices for dealers and consumers are the same.

He said that in fact the special additional excise duty has been reduced, which is a fee paid by oil companies to the government. The Congress leader said that oil companies have been facing losses since the conflict started in West Asia. The government has now agreed to share only a small part of that burden, but is reducing the special additional charge, that too after almost a month.

Kheda further said that relief for consumers is only in stories, not in reality. The government should focus on providing real relief to consumers instead of making headlines and fooling people.

Reduction of 3 rupees on petrol, zero on diesel

Here, the government has reduced the excise duty on petrol to Rs 3 per liter to help oil marketing companies like Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL), Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) and Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) deal with the rising prices of crude oil globally due to the ongoing war in West Asia. It has been reduced to zero on diesel.

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