Monday, June 12 2006 16:40 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: Former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Leader of Opposition L K Advani today (June 12, 2006) courted arrest while protesting the rise in prices as the BJP described the Congress move to states under its control to slash sales tax on fuel as a 'joke'.

"A strange phenomenon has emerged with states being asked to share the burden. We have no objection if states cut taxes on their own. But it would be a joke if the Centre uses its pressure on states to slash their taxes," the former Prime Minister said at the NDA protest rally before he courted arrest.

Vajpayee also insisted on a reduction in Central excise and customs duties to bring down prices of petrol and diesel.

"Instead, we would force the Centre to reduce its customs and excise duties to bring down fuel costs," he said.

Vajpayee, who is also the NDA chairman, accused the ruling Congress-led UPA of inability to control prices.

"The government is unable to decide how it should check price increases. The Congress government is in a state of confusion. The 'aam admi (common man)' is in trouble because of rising prices and the Congress government has lost direction," he remarked.

The former Prime Minister, who sat against a large canvas price chart, also spoke about the rise in prices of edibles and fuel since the Congress-led UPA took power in 2004.

In their speeches, both Advani and BJP chief Rajnath Singh too flayed the Congress for sales tax cuts in party-ruled states.

"Let the Centre first reduce customs and excise on fuel only then can the Congress have a moral right to speak about cutting sales tax on petrol and diesel," Singh said.

He demanded the Centre fix customs and excise on fuel to 20 per cent as the maximum limit.

The BJP chief also attacked the Left as he accused the UPA's communist allies of double standards on the price rise.

"Why is the Left not willing to cut sales tax in West Bengal? Why are they protesting price increases while staying in power?" he asked.

In his address, Advani accused the Congress-led Centre ofstraining household budgets and breaking its election promise to work for the 'aam admi'.

"The Congress fought the last general election on the central issue of working for 'aam admi'. But it backed out of the very issue that it used to come to power, which is evident from the spiralling prices today," the former Deputy Prime Minister, who accused the Left of being hand-in-glove with the Congress, said.

In a clear attack on Congress chief Sonia Gandhi over her correspondence with the government regarding price increases and income tax forms, Advani called her letters over the issues a 'fraud' on the general public.

"These letters are a fraud," he remarked.

In his speech, Janata Dal (United) leader Sharad Yadav flayed the Centre for importing wheat from Australia as he accused the Congress of neglecting the poor, especially farmers.

More than 100 NDA MPs, including Vajpayee, Advani, Singh Yadav and Shiv Sena's Manohar Joshi, later courted arrest.

ACP (Parliament Street) Rajeev Ranjan announced their arrest and immediate release.