Bharat Bandh: Govt Rules Out Excise Duty Cut on Petrol, Diesel Amid Nationwide Protests

In states like Kerala, Karnataka, Bihar, Odisha and Arunachal Pradesh, life was hit by the shutdown while Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal and Mizoram remained largely unaffected.

Our Petroleum Ministry is setting up 5 ethanol-making plants in country. Ethanol will be produced from wood products&segregated municipal waste. Diesel will be available at Rs.50 per litre & petrol alternative at Rs.55 per litre: Union Minister Nitin Gadkari in Durg #Chhattisgarh pic.twitter.com/YXCjRWJCVF

— ANI (@ANI) September 10, 2018

CM Chouhan's Son's Shop at the Centre of Bandh in Bhopal | In Bhopal, a flower shop owned by Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan's son Kartikey was at the centre of a protest by Congress workers. The shop, situated in Ravishankar Market, later downed shutters following the protest, said Madhya Pradesh Congress spokesperson Pankaj Chaturvedi

Madhya Pradesh Congress Calls BJP 'Anarchic' | The Congress' Bharat bandh against rising fuel prices and depreciation of the rupee on Monday saw party workers in Madhya Pradesh carry out rallies and hold protests outside commercial establishments and fuel pumps that were open. While the MP Congress called the shutdown successful, the ruling BJP accused the former of adopting "anarchic" ways to intimidate people to enforce the bandh.

Mumbai police said 'No serious incidents have been reported':

608 people were detained and released subsequently today, 6 people were arrested, 8 cases were registered at various police stations. No serious incidents have been reported: Mumbai police PRO #BharatBandh

— ANI (@ANI) September 10, 2018

Addressing a public meeting in Hanumangarh district's Bhadra town during her Gaurav Yatra, Raje said she understands that the increase in fuel prices affect people's budget and hence the state government decided to reduce the VAT. "The decision will benefit people, including farmers, women, students, government employees who use vehicles," Raje said.

Raj CM Calls Congress's Bharat Bandh a 'Drama'| Rajasthan chief minister Vasundhara Raje said on Monday the Congress was engaging in a "drama" by observing a nationwide shutdown over increasing fuel prices, stressing that her government has reduced VAT on petrol and diesel to give relief to people.

Lalu Prasad Yadav tweets on Bharat Bandh:

ना नौ मन तेल होगा, ना राजा नाचेंगे।#MehangiPadiModiSarkar #BharatBandh

— Lalu Prasad Yadav (@laluprasadrjd) September 10, 2018

The government anticipates that international oil prices, which together with a drop in the value of rupee has been fuelling the fuel price rise to record levels, will moderate in coming days to take pressure off. The comments come on a day when opposition parties held nationwide protests against record high petrol and diesel prices. Prices in Delhi, where rates are the cheapest among all metros and most state capitals because of lower VAT, saw petrol touch an all-time high of Rs 80.73 per litre Monday while diesel scaled to new high of Rs 72.83 a litre.

Govt Rules Out Excise Duty Cut | A cut in taxes on petrol and diesel is ruled out for now as neither the central government nor some states have the appetite to stomach revenue loss from such a move, a top government official said Monday.While a cut in excise duty that the central government levies will impact fiscal deficit, states like Bihar, Kerala, and Punjab are not in a position to cut sales tax (or VAT), the official, who wished not to be identified, said.

Sena Abstained from Bharat Bandh Not Under BJP's Influence | Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut rubbished talks of senior BJP leaders asking Sena to stay away from nationwide Bharat Bandh called by the Congress to protest against the rising prices of fuel. Raut said that it was the Shiv Sena's decision to abstain from participating in the "Bharat Bandh" and its stand had nothing to do with the BJP. "No BJP leader has asked the Shiv Sena to stay away from the bandh. Its our own decision," he said.

Supporters of Congress party shout anti-government slogans during a nationwide Bharat Bandh against the hike in fuel prices, in Chandigarh:

Speaking to reporters outside the Chennai airport on Monday morning, Lok Sabha Deputy Speaker and AIADMK MP Thambidurai M said "Bandhs called by the Opposition are common, but Congress leading this particular bandh is disingenuous. It was under the Congress rule' in the Centre that the authority to regulate oil prices in the country was handed over to private companies. This has hurt the public while profiting private players. The current government at the centre is only following previously set down plans."

Odisha Congress to Set up a Team to Look into Violence | A team will be formed comprising four senior party leaders to enquire about any incidents of voilence by any alleged Congress party workers during the Bharat Bandh in Odisha, Firstpost reported. "If found guilty they will face the music," says Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee president Niranjan Patnaik said. He also added that he suspected some people who were not belonging to the party took advantage of the situation and caused trouble in the name of the party.

Labourers sit in front of a closed shop in Agartala during a nationwide Bharat Bandh to protest against the hike in fuel prices:

Kaukab Qadri, rather blamed Pappu Yadav for the violence caused during Bharat bandh. He accused him of creating trouble on the instructions of the BJP and termed him an agent of the saffron party.

Speaking on the Jehanabad incident, Bihar Congress president Kaukab Qadri said, "Our supporters did not stop any ambulance as being reported. The child was sick for the last three days. My heart goes out to the bereaved family. We have appealed to the District Magistrate to provide some immediate relief to the family."

Jharkhand IG Operation , Aashish Batra said, "In all 9500 taken into preventive custody  during the Bharat Bandh. Taking precaution, all important congress leaders were taken into custody and 5000 extra forces were deployed."

Makrand Deuskar, IG Law & Order, Madhya Pradesh on Bharat Bandh:

The Bharat Bandh was peaceful in the state, 110-115 people have been arrested. The numbers can rise. In Ujjain, Katni and Jabalpur there had been some incidents for which cases have been registered: Makrand Deuskar, IG Law & Order, Madhya Pradesh on #BharatBandh pic.twitter.com/wqzk9ojqPz

— ANI (@ANI) September 10, 2018

Protest in Leh | In the Leh district of Jammu and Kashmir, heavy protests by the Congress party begin for the hike in petrol and diesel prices.

The bereaved father of the two-year-old said, "I took NH 83 which is the main route to Jehanabad. There were obstacles on road everywhere. My daughter fell unconscious in between and as the three-wheeler entered the outskirts of Jehanabad my baby died." Locals said the protesters had laid siege to the NH in Horilganj area also where the child breathed her last. Pramod Manjhi said if his vehicle was allowed to move ahead smoothly then the life of his daughter could have been saved. "It took three hours to reach the outskirts of Jehanabad from my village which takes barely an hour on a normal day," he added.

Bebi Kumar, a native of Balabigha village under main police station area of Gaya, was suffering from loose motion for the last two days. As her condition deteriorated due to acute dehydration, her father, Pramod Manjhi, decided to take her to a doctor in Jehanabad civil hospital. Pramod Manjhi alleged that he faced difficulty in arranging any vehicle due to Bandh and after much delay an autorickshaw agreed to carry the child. 

ADG Law and Order Sanjiv Kumar Singhal on Jehanabad incident said, 'The Superintendent of Police is investigating the incident, but there is no denying that the girl child collapsed on her way to the hospital."

Chirag Paswan Slammed Bharat Bandh Supporters | LJP parliamentary party leader Chirag Paswan slammed the Bandh supporters for not allowing free movement of the vehicle carrying a two-year-old in Jehanabad who later died on her way to the hospital. However, he demanded the union government to review sharp rise in petroleum prices

RECAP | A two-year-old girl died on her way to Jehanabad civil hospital in Bihar as the vehicle carrying her got stuck in a road blockade caused by Bharat Bandh supporters on Monday.The incident acquired a political colour when Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad questioned Rahul Gandhi and Congress over the death of the minor girl. Hitting out at the Congress over the issue, Prasad said, "Atmosphere of fear is being created in the country. Who will take responsibility for the child's death? Congress must give an answer."

Supporters of the Congress party burn an effigy of Prime Minister Narendra Modi during nationwide Bharat Bandh against the hike in fuel prices in Bengaluru:

BJP Condemns Congress' Resort to Violence on Bharat Bandh | "We are standing with people in their problem. We are trying to redress the issue and will do that," he told a press conference. Prasad claimed that the people understood the government's point of view and refused to support the 'Bharat Bandh' call given by the Congress and several other opposition parties. "That is unnerving the Congress and other opposition parties. Their resort to violence is designed to overawe the people of India. An atmosphere of fear is being created," he said

Law Minister Acknowledges People's Momentary Difficulty | Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad acknowledged that the people were facing "momentary difficulty" due to increasing petrol and diesel prices and said they understand that this was due to factors beyond the control of the central government.Noting that oil prices had gone down after the Bharatiya Janata Party government came to power in May 2014, before they went up, he said it is a problem whose solution is not in its hands.

BJP Rebukes Congress for Violence | The BJP Monday defended the rise in oil prices, attributing it to global factors, and accused the Congress and other opposition parties of resorting to violence during the 'Bharat Bandh' as people did not support their call.

'Modi Govt Daydreaming' | The Left leaders said the BJP was not batting an eyelid over the miseries it has created for the people. The ruling party is "daydreaming" to be in power for 50 years, they said, referring to BJP chief Amit Shah's claim at the party's national executive meet in Delhi Sunday. "They did not even mention about the fuel price hike, farmers' distress in their executive meet. It shows they are not worried about the people but only want to be in power. They are daydreaming. They will not come back to power in the coming 50 years," said CPI leader D Raja.