Fuel hike: Mamata threatens to walk out,Cong hints at rollback

Meanwhile,at the state secretariat in Kolkata,Mamata Banerjee told the media: Our withdrawal of support may result in the fall of the government. But since the Prime Minister is away,we want to discuss the matter with him and have sought an appointment.”

Discussions are required before a vital decision is to be taken, she said after her party’s parliamentary wing submitted a resolution to her calling for pull out from the UPA.

Banerjee,in the first-ever attack on the Congress since the formation of the UPA-II government in 2009,said her party would seek an appointment with the Prime Minister sometime between November 8 and 10 according to his convenience after he returns from abroad.

It was unacceptable that such a crucial decision on petrol price hike had been taken in the absence of the Prime Minister, she said.

Banerjee said an emergency meeting of the Trinamool Congress parliamentary party was in favour of quitting the UPA for the unilateral decisions of major ally Congress,without consulting allies and keeping them in the dark,she said.

We have been silenced and not heard in the Union Cabinet. Our only Cabinet minister Dinesh Trivedi is told to keep quiet. We have tolerated so much and adjusted, Banerjee said,adding there was lack of coordination and cooperation in the UPA.

Pointing out that Congress was dependant on the support of allies like Trinamool Congress,NCP and DMK to run the UPA government,she said,We are not dependent on the Congress.

They (Congress) may be a big party,and we may be smaller parties. But they do not have the majority of their own at the Centre. They are dependent on the support of the allies for survival, Banerjee said.

While maintaining she was not trying to blackmail the government,the Trinamool chief said the rise in fuel prices so frequently was unacceptable.

We want the government to run for five years. We follow the coalition dharma. This was our commitment when the government was formed. We are not trying to blackmail the government.

In West Bengal,we are in power with two-thirds majority and we are not dependent on Congress to run the government. We can run the government in this state on our own even if Congress is not with us,but we take the partner in confidence in the policy decisions of the government, she said.

I want to appeal to the Centre to please take care of the people. Eleven price hikes of petrol and petroleum products in 12 months is unacceptable. Price hike may not affect the Central government,but it affects us in the states…We gave a commitment to the people and we will never compromise on the question of imposing economic hardship on the masses, she asserted.

Banerjee,who till recently was the railway minister before being elected to the state Assembly,said,I am grateful to my parliamentary party that they have taken this bold decision (to quit the UPA).

She said she held discussions with Union Commerce Minister Anand Sharma during the day.

I have spoken to Union Minister Jairam Ramesh following the latest hike in petrol price. My party colleague Mukul Roy last night also contacted Union Finance minister Pranab Mukherjee who pleaded helplessness in the matter.

Banerjee said she had informed the Union Commerce Minister that a vital decision in the absence of the Prime Minister should not have been taken by the Centre. Taking a decision in absence of the Prime Minister brings a bad name for the country, she said.

Referring to yesterday’s statement by Union Petroleum Minister Jaipal Reddy hinting at a fresh hike in diesel and LPG prices shortly,she said,Is it acceptable that the value of human being’s will diminish and price of diesel rise?

Banerjee said it was in the air that LPG price per cylinder would touch Rs 900 in the coming days. This is serious.

She asked why petrol prices had not come down in India when crude prices fell globally.

Banerjee said,Without consulting anyone,the government unilaterally raises prices of petrol,kerosene oil,LPG and even coal… I kept quiet on many issues even after coal prices were raised recently. For two years,I tolerated this despite pressure being put on the common people.

The chief minister,who had earlier sought a special economic package to bail out the fund-starved state,hit out at the Centre for stopping coal supply to power plants on the ground of non-payment of dues.

Someone will have to take a lead role to uphold the people’s cause. If we make a sacrifice and if that helps the people,let it be so, Banerjee said.

Meanwhile,Congress spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi said: “Congress is very concerned about the price rise and calls upon the government to take measures,and hopes the government will look into the matter very seriously, party spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi told reporters here.

He said the party believes the government will not only take efforts to control the price rise but also consider ways and means to give relief to the people,adding such a healing touch and urgent measures were required.

A senior party leader,speaking on the condition of anonymity,made it clear that the partial rollback of petrol price will probably happen once Prime Minister Manmohan Singh returns from abroad tomorrow. The leader also said consultations with other UPA allies on this issue will also take place after Singh’s arrival.

At the AICC briefing,Singhvi,however,refused to go into the specifics of the measures that are likely to be taken in this regard.

I am not going into the specifics. We are not here to fetter jurisdiction and the work of the government. Whichever means has the desired effect will be highly desirable. But we leave it to the discretion of the government to decide these steps, he said.

NCP,NC express concern over petrol price hike

Resentment among UPA partners over petrol price hike grew with two more allies today expressing concern after key partner Trinamool Congress threatened to

pull out of the government if there was no rollback.

The NCP and the National Conference (NC) are upset with the recent hike but stopped short of withdrawing support to the ruling coalition.

The NCP and the NC’s reaction comes close on the heels of the Trinamool Congress,the UPA’s largest partner,threatening to pull out of the government if the petrol price hike was not rolled back.

Both NCP and the NC said repeated hike in petrol prices burden the common man and they would raise the issue within the government.

In the next Cabinet meeting there will be a debate on it, New and Renewable Energy Minister and National Conference President Farooq Abdullah told reporters here.

Sharad Pawar’s NCP wanted the government to devise some mechanism to keep the fuel prices in check.

We are concerned. The government should devise some mechanism to check frequent hike in petrol prices, NCP General Secretary Tariq Anwar told PTI.

Asked about Trinamool Congress’ threat to pull out of government on the issue,Anwar was quick to add,We do not have any such plans.

Abdullah and Anwar pointed out that the government had not touched the prices of diesel and cooking gas which is used by the masses.

Rising petrol prices depend on the international market. But still,they have kept diesel prices very low,because majorly diesel is used here, Abdullah said.

We are not angry or upset. We think we will have to work collectively to get it under control, he said.