Bengaluru, Apr 17 (UNI) Hitting back at the Congress party in Karnataka for protesting against the Centre over rising fuel prices, Senior BJP leader and former Deputy Chief Minister Dr CN Ashwath Narayan on Thursday accused the state government of misleading the public, claiming that recent price hikes were a result of increased sales tax and not due to any action by the Union Government.
Speaking to reporters here, Dr Ashwath Narayan asserted that the Centre had, in fact, reduced fuel prices over the past year, including a Rs 300 cut in LPG cylinder prices, while the Karnataka government had gone in the opposite direction.
"The Government of India has not increased fuel prices. In fact, diesel and petrol prices were reduced last year. The recent price hike in Karnataka is due to the Congress government's decision to raise the sales tax – by Rs 5.50 on diesel and Rs 3 on petrol," he said.