Hyderabad: AICC general secretary Digvijay Singh flayed the TRS government in Telangana and the BJP government at the Centre for extorting money from petroleum consumers by levying more taxes without allowing the consumers the benefit of the reduction of crude oil prices.

Speaking to newsmen at Gandhi Bhavan on Thursday, at the end of a three-day session of party leaders, the AICC leader said without passing the benefit to actual consumers, both the governments resorted to fill their exchequer by levying VAT as well as import duty on various petroleum products which, according to him, is totally unjustified and unfair. He said if one compares the prices of petrol that was available for Rs 41 per litre in 2009 it is now available at Rs 68.

Mr Singh said a complete report based on the three-day deliberation on how to strengthen the party from the grass-roots level and how to take on the BJP and other political opponents both at the Centre and the state would be submitted to Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi by March this year.

“Based on these inputs the AICC will then take measures to strengthen the party across the nation including adopting new policies,” Mr Singh added.