No takers for fuel challenge? BJP to Rahul after K'taka petrol tax hike

New Delhi: The BJP had a field day after Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy announced a tax hike for petrol and diesel today.

The party used the above Rs-1-per-litre hike by the Congress-JD(S) government in the state to hit back at Rahul Gandhi, who recently threw a ‘fitness challenge’ at Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The maiden budget of the Karnataka government showcased a partial loan waiver for farmers that would cost the exchequer Rs 34,000 crore.

Read: In maiden budget, K'taka CM gives farm loan waiver of Rs 34,000 Cr

The government turned to marginal increases in price for electricity, tax for liquor and fuel, for revenue.

In the afternoon, the BJP posted a scathing tweet:

The fuel price hike in May had seen Congress relentlessly attacking the NDA government. The party demanded a reduction in petrol and diesel taxes, or alternately, bringing them under the Goods and Services Tax.

Rahul Gandhi had targetted the Prime Minister repeatedly, tweeting "is this a joke" when fuel prices came down by 1 paisa on May 30.

When the Prime Minister accepted India's cricket captain Virat Kohli's fitness challenge, the Congress President had tweeted, "Dear PM, Glad to see you accept the @imVkohli fitness challenge. Here's one from me: Reduce Fuel prices or the Congress will do a nationwide agitation and force you to do so. I look forward to your response.#FuelChallenge".

The Prime Minister had also been on the receiving end of jabs from Congress ally Kumaraswamy, when he tagged the Chief Minister for a fitness challenge.

From his official handle, H D Kumaraswamy responded:

Petrol and diesel prices were raised again today after a gap of 36 days. In this period, the petrol prices were slashed 22 times and the diesel on 18 occasions.

Petrol prices were hiked by 16 to 17 paise in metro cities, diesel price hike was in the range of 10-12 paise.