Opposition, allies flay decision on diesel, LPG
New Delhi, Sep 13, 2012, DHNS:
The government decision to increase diesel
prices by Rs 5 a litre and restrict supply of LPG cylinders to six per
household in a year came under severe attack from both key allies of the
United Progressive Alliance (UPA) and the Opposition parties.Strongly opposing the Cabinet decision to hike diesel prices, Trinamool Congress (TMC), a key ally of the UPA government alleged that the party was not taken into confidence before taking decision to increase fuel prices.
“TMC strongly opposes this decision, we have come to know about this decision through media. Our party is not part of the decision,” said TMC MP Kunal Ghosh.
Ghosh further said that “such decisions will damage common man and farmers”.
Notably, TMC did not attend the meeting of the Committee on Political Affairs, headed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, which decided to raise diesel prices.
Samajwadi Party leader and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav termed the government decision on diesel and LPG as “ill- timed” and said the party will “demand a rollback”.
The principal Opposition party, BJP, condemned the steep increase in diesel prices at the outset and said it would have a cascading effect on price rise and directly affect common man, farmers and labourers of the country.
Speaking to the media after the party’s core group meeting senior BJP leader Ananth Kumar said: “We strongly protest against the steep hike and condemn it. It will have a cascading effect on inflation and price rise. It will hit the common man, farmers and the labourers.”
The Communist Party of India (Marxist) termed the decision a result of “bankrupt economic policy” of the government, which will have a “disastrous” effect.
CPM MP Gurudas Dasgupta said: “I have never seen such a massive hike. It is going to have an all-round disastrous. This is the result of government’s bankrupt economic policy.”
However, the Congress defended the government’s decision on the issue.
Senior party leader Digvijay Singh said the Congress was “solidly” behind Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his government.
The Congress general secretary said during its seven years in power, UPA government had taken several decisions that were beneficial to the common man and “and sometimes, a good government may have to take unpleasant decisions too”.
Mamata unhappy, demands rollback
UPA ally and Trinamool Congress chief and West Bengal Chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday said that she was unhappy and astonished at the diesel price hike and the decision on LPG and demanded immediate rollback, reports PTI from Kolkata.
“We are astonished that inspite of the formation of the UPA coordination committee, such a decision was taken without consulting us,” she said.
