Mamata Banerjee hardens stand,rules out compromise

Rejecting Finance Minister P Chidambaram’s statement in Delhi this morning,she told reporters that nobody from Delhi contacted her before or after the Centre took the decisions to hike diesel price,cap supply of subsidised cylinders and allow FDI in retail.

“Minimum 24 cylinders should be given to a family in a year. How many times you will keep raising the petroleum prices? FDI in retail should be withdrawn,” Banerjee said.

She said on September 14,the day the Union Cabinet took the decisions on FDI,she had told Congress President Sonia Gandhi that her party was opposed to these decisions.

Recalling that the statement of former Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee that FDI in retail would not be implemented unless a consensus in reached among political parties,she said this is a commitment that the government adhere to.

The West Bengal Chief Minister said the government should implement any decision on FDI in retail only after a legislation is passed in Parliament in this regard. “FDI,we are not… we will organise protest everyday.”

Last night,Banerjee had announced that her party would withdraw support to the UPA and pull out its ministers in protest against the economic decisions. She said she could reconsider her stand if the government slashes the diesel price hike of Rs 5 by Rs 3-4 per litre,withdraws the decision on FDI totally and raise the cap on supply of subsidised LPG cylinders.

‘No option to consider’

Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Saugata Roy on Wednesday said that there will be no turning back and the decision to resign on Friday has been taken as ministers have to personally submit their resignations and not because there may be some scope for a negotiation.

“All this is media’s imagination. The media should understand that a resignation can only be submitted personally,we will submit our resignation to the Prime Minister only,” Roy said.

“We have withdrawn support. According to business rules,all resignations have to be written in hand. We will give it to the Prime Minister. We have no option to consider. We have a principled stand and we have stood by the people,” Roy added.

Roy further said TMC chief Mamata Banerjee has given three options,which is to increase subsidised LPGs from 9 to12,reduce diesel price by Rs 3 and remove FDI in retail.

“We have opposed FDI for three years. We are against the price hike. We haven’t taken these steps for profit,” he added.

Mamata Banerjee had on Tuesday declared that the Trinamool Congress would be pulling out of the UPA government,but appeared to keep a window open by saying that the party’s six members in the Union Cabinet would only give their resignations at 3 pm on Friday (September 21).

“We are never being heard,so what is the use being in the Centre? I have given enough chance to the UPA II,but the Centre is only taxing the poor people. The price of petrol,diesel,fertilisers are on the rise. Even the government is putting enormous pressure on the common people by hiking the price of LPG,” said Mamata Banerjee.

She requested Congress leaders not to distort facts. “They

must communicate reality,” she said.

“You (Congress) can’t control us… You can control some

channels,” added Mamata.

The TMC’s decision brings the UPA’s effective strength in the 545-seat Lok Sabha from 273 to 254,which is below the halfway mark. At present the government has outside support of Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party.