The petrol and diesel prices in Karnataka were increased by Rs 3 and Rs 3.02, respectively, on Sunday after the state government hiked the sales tax on the fuels.

The Karnataka Sales Tax (KST) has been increased from 25.92 percent to 29.84 percent on petrol and from 14.3 percent to 18.4 percent on diesel, according to the government notification. Consequently, the prices of petrol have increased by Rs 3, and diesel prices have gone up by Rs 3.02.

The state finance department notification stated that the price hike would come into effect immediately.

Meanwhile, BJP leaders criticised the Siddaramaiah-led Congress government's decision to increase the sales tax.

BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla said, "The true face of the Congress party has been exposed. The Congress party says that there is inflation in the country, and then the Congress party and its own state governments raise petrol and diesel prices. In Karnataka, they have passed an anti-farmer, anti-common man order, a fatwa, a jizyah tax, and they have increased petrol and diesel prices by Rs 3 and Rs 3.05."

He alleged that the government hiked the tax because they have "bankrupted Karnataka because of their schemes.

Motorists in the state expressed unhappiness over the decision. A biker in Bengaluru told news agency ANI, "The rich can afford petrol, but where will we go? I work at a BPO. I will have to spend Rs 15,000 on petrol... This will greatly affect us."

Source: India Today