Odishatv Bureau

Bhubaneswar: Protesting rise in fuel prices, activists of the BJD youth and students' wing staged demonstration near Master Canteen square here on Thursday.

The BJD activists today carried out a rally on bullock carts and staged protests at the Master Canteen square demanding immediate cut in fuel prices.

The ruling party alleged that fuel prices in India are among the highest in south Asia despite the fact that the country's neighbouring nations depend on the same sources for crude oil.

"It is unfortunate that the Centre is not addressing the problem that the common man is facing due to unprecedented increase in fuel prices," BJD's general secretary, Sanjay Das Burma said.

The rising fuel prices have adversely affected the common man, said Burma adding that the party will continue its protest till the fuel prices come down.

Meanwhile, the BJP termed the demonstration of the ruling party as a political gimmick alleging that the party is trying to divert the attention of the people from its failure in dealing with the real issues plaguing the state.

Several states like Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Maharashtra and Himachal Pradesh have cut value added tax (VAT) on petrol and diesel however the state government vehemently rejected the Centre’s request to reduce VAT, even though it is collecting VAT over Rs 20 per litre of petrol and diesel, alleged BJP's Odisha general secretary Prithviraj Harichandan.

"If BJD is so much concerned about the people of Odisha then it must reduce VAT by at least five per cent to ease the burden on consumers," said Harichandan.

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