Mumbai, May 21: BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis on Saturday said the Maharashtra government should bring down the state taxes on petrol and diesel after the Union government offered a major relief.

Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman earlier in the day cut excise duty on petrol by a record Rs 8 per litre and that on diesel by Rs 6 per litre amid high inflation. Fuel Price Cut: Petrol To Get Cheaper by Rs 9.5 per Litre, Diesel by Rs 7 per Litre After Govt Cuts Excise Duty.

In a social media post, Fadnavis said, "By reducing excise duty on petrol and diesel, the union government is going to bear revenue implication to the tune of Rs one lakh crore annually. Maharashtra government needs to follow suit and reduce state excise duty on petrol and diesel further."

The state excise duty makes fuel rates in Maharashtra one of the highest in the country, and "political parties should take steps to offer further relief to people instead of organising protest rallies on the streets," the former chief minister said.

"With this decision, the union government has once again proved the fact that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government works for the poor," Fadnavis added.

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