Ramdev, a co-founder of Patanjali Ayurved, said he could sell petrol and diesel at lower prices -- but he mentioned two conditions: "If the government lets me, and gives some relief in tax". (Photo: Reuters)

Fancy buying a litre of fuel for Rs 35-40? In your dreams, you say? Well, that's the price range at which Baba Ramdev, the yoga guru-turned-entrepreneur, wants to sell petrol and diesel.

There are two conditions, though: "If the government lets me, and gives some relief in tax".

If that happens, Ramdev said yesterday at the NDTV Yuva conclave in Delhi, "I can give petrol [and] diesel to India at Rs 35-45 per litre."

On the government's reluctance to reduce excise duty on petrol and diesel, Ramdev said India wouldn't stop functioning if there's a revenue loss; this, he said, could be recovered by taxing rich people more.

The Patanjali Ayurved co-founder also called for bringing petrol and diesel under the lowest GST slab, and not the 28 per cent rate.

Fuel prices have skyrocketed in recent weeks -- a trend that, coupled with the plummeting rupee, has given the Opposition political ammunition. Last week, a nationwide strike was held to protest soaring fuel costs. Read this fact file to understand why the prices and diesel have been getting higher.

Many laud the policies of the Modi government, but some need correction now...price rise is a big issue and Modi ji will have to take corrective measures soon, failing which 'mehngai ki aag to Modi Sarkar ko bahut mehngi padegi' (the fire of rising prices will prove costly for the Modi government). - Baba Ramdev

Today, the price of petrol in Mumbai inched closer to the Rs 90 mark; it was being sold at Rs 89.44 per litre. In Delhi, Kolkata and Chennai, a litre of petrol was being sold at Rs 82.06, Rs 83.91 and Rs 85.31, respectively.

Inputs from BusinessToday.in

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