CM Sukhu on the backfoot due to BJP pressure over petrol and diesel: Anurag Singh Thakur

Shimla(The Uttam Hindu): Speaking on Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Mr. Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu’s decision to impose a cess on petrol and diesel, former Union Minister and Member of Parliament from the Hamirpur parliamentary constituency, Mr. Anurag Singh Thakur, stated that—bowing to pressure from the BJP—Mr. Sukhu is evading the issue and engaging in circumlocution. Shri Anurag Singh Thakur stated, “Mr. Sukhu—the architect of Himachal Pradesh’s ‘dilapidated model’—even the common Himachali understands that when a government introduces a bill in the Legislative Assembly to increase taxes or VAT, or to impose a cess, it directly implies that the public will now have to pay more money.

This is not the first time that a burden has been placed upon the public through taxes, cesses, or VAT; this marks the third such instance. The ₹5 hike in petrol and diesel prices—implemented by the state government in Himachal—constitutes an assault on the common man's pocket, placing an additional annual burden of over ₹1,000 crore on the public exchequer. Having remained unsatisfied after imposing a VAT hike of over ₹10 on the previous two occasions, they have now imposed a cess of ₹5. In other words, acting under the directives of Shri Rahul Gandhi, the Congress government in Himachal has effectively burdened the public’s pockets with a total levy of ₹15 per liter. It is a matter of common sense that whenever a government introduces a bill in the Assembly to raise taxes, increase VAT, or impose a cess, it directly signifies that the public will henceforth be required to pay more. Following pressure exerted by the BJP, the Chief Minister is now evading the issue and engaging in circumlocution. Their current predicament is akin to the proverb: ‘They set out to become Chau-be (four), but returned as Du-be (two)’—meaning they ended up with far less than what they originally aspired to achieve.”

Shri Anurag Singh Thakur further remarked, “Such is the state of factionalism within the Congress party in Himachal Pradesh that, quite recently, the State Congress President was compelled to issue a written directive to silence his own ministers and MLAs. Almost on a daily basis, Congress MLAs—raising their voices against their own government, which has failed on every front—either speak out in dissent or tender their resignations from the party, causing the Congress leadership to panic and scramble in desperation. All of Congress’s electoral guarantees remain unfulfilled to this day, effectively leaving the public in the lurch. Far from fulfilling their election promises, the Congress government has merely caused distress to the public by dismantling the welfare schemes initiated by the previous BJP administration. After draining the state’s treasury through their policies and plunging the state into a quagmire of debt exceeding ₹1 lakh crore, they are now imposing taxes upon the people of the state...” "It does not behoove a Chief Minister to gain notoriety for imposing the burden of cesses and VAT merely to facilitate the indulgence of his friends."

Mr. Anurag Singh Thakur stated, "By saddling the public with a heavy tax burden, Sukhu Ji is enabling the lavish lifestyles of his associates. The Congress party—incapable of fulfilling its electoral guarantees—is currently embroiled in internal discord; yet, the irony lies in the fact that Sukhu Ji, having buried the state under a mountain of debt, remains blissfully engrossed in his own comforts, oblivious to the crisis at hand. Regarding the repeated revenue collection being undertaken through taxes, VAT, and cesses, the people of the state demand to know: does the revenue generated from these additional hikes flow into the state exchequer, or does it end up in the pockets of his party's 'High Command' and his personal friends? When a state government, instead of focusing on development, begins making headlines for issues such as ordering a CID inquiry into *samosas*, proposing a 'toilet tax,' or debating the serving of wild fowl, it becomes evident that the state is on the path to ruin. Does he lack even the most basic understanding that the burden of any form of taxation ultimately falls upon the common consumer? The rising costs of petrol and diesel have a direct ripple effect on the prices of transportation, agricultural inputs, freight services, and everyday essential commodities. The Congress government has already drained thousands of crores of rupees from the public's pockets by levying taxes on fuel, and is now preparing to impose yet another financial burden under the guise of a 'cess'."