New Delhi: The Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee (DPCC) on Tuesday asked the Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP government to roll back the heightened VAT on diesel and petrol, regulate liquor sales and shut cigarette shops immediately.
DPCC President Anil Kumar said that people of Delhi, who are already burdened by joblessness and no source of livelihood, have now been inflicted with an increased VAT on diesel and petrol by Rs 7.10 and Rs 1.67, respectively.
Kumar demanded that the increased VAT on diesel and petrol should be rolled back forthwith, liquor sales should be regulated by rolling back the 70 per cent cess and cigarette and tobacco shops should be shut immediately.
Additionally, Kumar alleged that the arbitrary and authoritarian decision by Kejriwal, taken without consulting even the RWAs, to partially lift the Covid-19 lockdown without any planning has resulted in chaos and confusion in Delhi, which will only lead to a spike in the number of coronavirus cases.
Addressing a digital press conference at the DPCC office at the Rajiv Bhawan on Tuesday, Kumar said the Delhi government has woefully failed in combating the virus in the national capital.
He said that no roadmap was charted out for the Disaster Management Authority in case such an eventuality occurred. DPCC vice-presidents, Jaikishan and Abhishek Dutt, were also present at the press conference.
Kumar said that due to the hike in the price of diesel, the prices of essential commodities have shot up, which is having a cascading effect on the prices of other essential goods as well. He said that hoarding and black marketeering of essential goods have also broken the back of the poor and the common people.
Kumar said that the people of Delhi, who lived without liquor, cigarettes and tobacco for the past 45 days, are now being made to pay a steep price, and wondered whether the move to open liquor outlets was taken under pressure from the liquor cartel.
He went on to say that Kejriwal was looting the people not only for self-publicity, but also to bolster the government’s income.
The DPCC President added that the Delhi government has not announced any relief for the people through measures like waiving off water and power charges or school fees.
He said that Kejriwal has been advocating people not to charge rent from the tenants, but his government has been looting the people with impunity.
Kumar said that the Delhi government has not drawn up any roadmap for the transportation of migrant labourers to their homes, adding that it is the Congress which has come forward to help them for their journey back home.
