Chennai, April 28 : The Tamil Nadu legislative assembly on Thursday witnessed a verbal duel between the BJP and the Congress over the hike in petroleum and cooking gas prices. The BJP charged at the Congress for leaving behind the payment pending in lieu of oil bonds of over 1.36 lakh crore and the Congress retorted asking why the saffron party had provided relief to specific corporates after collecting Rs 26.5 lakh crore as fuel taxes. Congress legislative party leader K. Selvaperuthungai raised the issue of rising fuel prices in the House during zero hour. Referring to the virtual meeting the Prime Minister had with the Chief Ministers on Wednesday, he lashed out at the BJP government at the Centre over the rising fuel prices and said that the people are stretched out over the fuel price hike. He added that this is leading to spiralling prices of essential commodities also. BJP floor leader Nainar Nagenthran said that the policy of the UPA government that ruled the country till 2014 was the reason behind the hike in fuel prices, referring to the pending oil bond payments. The BJP leader said that the Congress had ruled the country for several years and added that it was the BJP that had cut down on fuel prices. Nainar Nagenthran also acknowledged the DMK government that had cut down the state tax on fuel prices. Selvaperunthagai accepted the argument on oil bonds but said that the BJP government had collected Rs 26,51,919 crore as fuel taxes since 2014 and asked why the BJP government had given huge loan waivers to specific corporates, led by Ambani and Adani. Both the BJP and Congress legislators joined the discussion leading to a shouting match even as the BJP floor leader accepted that the Centre has collected Rs 26,51, 919 as fuel tax and added that the money was used for several social and welfare measures in the country. /IANS