Bhubaneswar: BJD has slammed BJP on the oil price rise issue and criticised the slashing of petrol prices by just 1 paisa.

Members of the BJD on Thursday rode bullock carts in various towns to register their protest on the issue and highlight the Union government's failure to rein in petroleum prices.

Senior BJD leaders, including Niranjan Pujari, Prasanna Acharya, Sanjay Das Burma, Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak and Bijay Nayak, met the governor on Thursday and submitted a memorandum addressed to President Ram Nath Kovind.

Party vice-president Debi Prasad Mishra said: "The price cut by one paise is a slap on the faces of crores of consumers. It has rubbed salt on the wounds of the common people. Even though the prices of oil barrel is reducing day by day, the government of India is not passing on the benefits to the consumers."

Party secretary Bijay Nayak said: "The common people have suffered because of the economy's mismanagement."

BJP state vice-president Samir Mohanty said: "The BJD is trying to do politics over the issue. The price of petroleum is regulated by the international market phenomena. <>The state government is collecting Rs 29.28 a litre on petrol and Rs 25.28 a litre on diesel. If they are so concerned about the plight of the common people, they should set an example... No one should forget that the Centre had earlier reduced the central excise by Rs 2 a litre on petroleum products."

"Our revenue income from mining has gone down as compared to last year. If we reduce tax on fuels, it will hit our revenue base," said a finance department official. The state now collects 26 per cent VAT on petrol and diesel.

Pradesh Congress Committee president Nirnajan Patnaik said: "Both the BJD and the BJP are doing politics on the issue at the cost of the common people."