Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Saturday said petrol, diesel prices have been increasing for 11 days and the common man is suffering as a result of the ''wrong'' economic policies of the Centre.

A tweet in Hindi takes in English - ''The Modi government imposes excise duty of Rs 32.90 on petrol and Rs 31.80 per litre on diesel. Whereas during the UPA government in 2014 there was an excise duty of only Rs 9.20 on petrol and just Rs 3.46 on diesel. The Modi government should reduce excise duty in the interest of the public without delay,''.

He said, the economy of Rajasthan has been badly affected due to COVID-19 and the state's revenue has decreased. But, the state government reduced VAT by 2 per cent in the last month to give relief to the common people, he added.

Through social media tweets, Gehlot targeted the Centre and cleared his stand on the rumours that Rajasthan levies the highest tax on fuel prices.

Another tweet reads - ''People are affected by petrol and diesel prices. Prices have been increasing continuously for the last 11 days. This is the result of the wrong economic policies of the Modi government. Crude oil prices in the international market are currently half of what it used to be during the UPA rule, but petrol-diesel prices have reached an all-time high,'' Gehlot.

The chief minister claimed that the Centre has continuously reduced the part of basic excise duty of the states and increased the additional excise duty and special excise duty on the central portion ''only to fill its treasury''. Consequently, the state governments have to increase value-added tax to raise their economic resources, the chief minister said.

''Instead of giving any such relief, the Modi government is increasing the prices of petrol and diesel every day,'' Gehlot said.

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