'A decision out of fear': Priyanka Gandhi on Centre slashing excise duty on petrol and diesel

Taking a dig at the Centre's decision to cut excise duty on petrol and diesel by a record Rs 5 and Rs 10 per litre to help bring rates down from their highest-ever levels, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, on Thursday, claimed that it was a decision out of fear.

Taking to Twitter, the Congress general secretary said the people should give a fitting reply to the "government loot" in the upcoming elections.

She said the decision was "not from the heart" but "out of fear".

Congress leader P. Chidambaram too had taken a dig at the Centre, saying the tax cut was the by-product of the recent assembly and Lok Sabha bypolls. "The results of the 30 Assembly and 3 LS by-elections have produced a by-product. The centre has cut excise duties on petrol and diesel!" he had tweet.

"It is a confirmation of our charge that fuel prices are high mainly because of high taxes And our charge that high fuel taxes is because of the greed of the central government."

The tax reduction has been hailed by the BJP as a "Diwali gift to the nation."