Karnataka: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah defends fuel price hike
He added that despite the VAT hike, diesel prices in Karnataka remain lower than those in Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh. Siddaramaiah reiterated the state government’s commitment to keeping fuel prices reasonable for the citizens of Karnataka.
Siddaramaiah attacked the BJP, accusing the central government of manipulating VAT adjustments in the past. He alleged that during the BJP’s governance, both at the state and central levels, efforts were made to divert Karnataka’s resources to other states.
Siddaramaiah claimed that while the state BJP government consistently lowered VAT on petrol and diesel, the Central government simultaneously increased taxes, resulting in reduced revenue for Karnataka and increased revenue for the Central government. According to him, this approach disadvantaged the people of Karnataka.
“The then Double Engine BJP government collaborated to divert Karnataka’s resources to other states. The state BJP govt kept reducing VAT on petrol and diesel while the Central govt increased its own taxes. This manipulation led to reduced revenue for Karnataka, while the Central government collected more for its coffers, cheating Kannadigas,” he wrote.
