Oil Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has sought to put the Kerala government on the mat, alleging that the state is not willing to reduce taxes on petroleum products to help lighten the burden on people.

Addressing a meeting after a public reception for the party’s ‘Jan Raksha Yatra’ (People’s Protection March) here last night, he said, “Frequent increase in prices of petroleum products is causing inconvenience to people. The central government decided to cut down its taxes and advised the states to do the same. But the Kerala government stuck to its stand that there was no question of reducing the taxes.”

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He further alleged that the CPI(M) that calls itself a party of the poor had no concern for them.

Taking on the Left parties for “trying to ally with the Congress to fight the BJP”, Pradhan asserted: “The BJP’s growth in Kerala cannot be stopped by anyone. Support for the party is growing.”

He made a frontal attack, saying “the leadership of the ruling party here will have to answer the political murders of BJP workers in the state”.

BJP’s Kerala unit president Kummanam Rajasekharan, who led the 15-day yatra, and other leaders also spoke.