Congress says fuel price cut meagre, accuses govt of 'Rs 13 trn fuel loot'

Farmers, BJP rank and file compelled the govt to cut fuel prices ahead of polls

For nearly a month, union ministers had insisted there would be no cut in prices of petrol and diesel, but the Narendra Modi government on Thursday succumbed to the pressure built not just by the farmer protest, but to voices within the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

The need for cutting central excise on petrol and diesel by Rs 2.5 per litre, and instructing all BJP governments also to cut their VAT (value added tax) on petrol and diesel by Rs 2.5 was felt in view of the forthcoming assembly polls. The Vasundhara Raje-led Rajasthan government had cut fuel prices by