Registering a strong protest against the Congress led Punjab Government’s refusal to give relief from “high” diesel and petrol prices to the farmers as well as the common man, the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) legislators on Thursday reached Vidhan Sabha riding on bullock carts, carrying banners and placards against the ruling party and the Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh.

The Akali MLAs also staged a walk out on the issue when the Government refused to give an assurance that it would reduce the State tax on petroleum products which is levied in the form of VAT (value added tax).

SAD legislative wing leader Sharanjit Singh Dhillon raised the issue during the zero hour demanding an assurance from the treasury benches that the Government would reduce VAT on petrol and diesel immediately.

When the ruling party failed to pay heed to their demand, the SAD legislators staged a walk out on the issue.

Dhillon said that the SAD was ready to join the State Government and approach the Centre to reduce the prices of petroleum products.

“We are even ready to go to Delhi and hold a protest on this issue.

However, before this is done, the Congress Government must come to the aid of farmers and the common man by reducing VAT on petrol and diesel,” he said.

He pointed that the VAT of 27.5 percent of petrol and 17.5 percent on diesel was amongst the highest in the country.

Earlier, the SAD MLAs reached Vidhan Sabha astride bullock carts raising slogans — “lokan nu lutna band karo” (stop fleecing people) and “VAT ghat karo” (reduce VAT) — to focus the attention on the callousness of the Congress Government for not paying heed to the demand to reduce prices on petroleum products by at least Rs five per litre.

SAD leaders also took on Punjab Congress president Sunil Jakhar for trying to befool Punjabis by refusing to put pressure on his party’s Government to reduce VAT on petroleum products.

“It is Finance Minister Manpreet Badal and Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh’s responsibility to reduce the VAT being imposed on petroleum products in Punjab. Instead of doing this, the Congress Government is playing a fixed match with the Centre as each hike in prices of petroleum products resulted in a similar hike in VAT,” said Majithia accusing the State Government of shifting its responsibility to the Centre instead of tackling the issue.