Addressing the media, AAP leader Dilip Pandey said, “When price of crude oil is regularly going down in the international oil market, prices are rising in India because of high taxes”

Upping the ante against the Centre over the steep hike in fuel prices, the Aam Aadmi Party on Tuesday addressed a press conference and asked PM Narendra Modi to explain the reasons for the surge in petrol and diesel prices even as the prices were going down in the international market. Addressing the media, AAP leader Dilip Pandey said, “When price of crude oil is regularly going down in the international oil market, prices are rising in India because of high taxes, Modi ji should tell us why are we paying such high prices despite low international rates.”

Pandey further argued that prices are low even in the neighbouring countries of Bhutan, Nepal, China and Pakistan. “Even in neighbouring countries like Bhutan, Nepal, China and Pakistan, petrol prices are less than prices of India. Even when these countries get petrol from us, Modi Ji, country wants to know whether you have any solution for it,” Pandey said.

The Arvind Kejriwal-led party condemned the price hike and held Centre’s failures responsible for the price hike. Pandey said that Centre wants to benefit ‘special people’ through the increase of 200 per cent excise duty on Petrol and 450 per cent excise duty on diesel.

The price for a litre of petrol is determined by adding up a number of state and central taxes. In Delhi, a litre of petrol is charged at Rs 37.43 to dealers. However, it reaches the end user at a price of Rs 76.43. The Delhi government charges an VAT of Rs 16.43 on Petrol, while the Centre collects an excise duty of Rs 19.48.

On Monday, the AAP said that country felt “cheated” by the Narendra Modi government in the wake of the increased prices of petrol and diesel. Addressing media, AAP’s chief spokesperson Saurabh Bhardwaj said that prices of petrol on Monday stood at Rs 84.07 per litre in Mumbai, Rs 79.13 per litre in Chennai, Rs 78.91 per litre in Kolkata and Rs 76.24 per litre in Delhi.

He said that these were highest petrol prices under the current BJP dispensation. “The Modi government is responsible for the inflation all around. From fruits and vegetables to petrol and diesel — everything is severely affected by the daily price hikes,” he added.