MUNI THE BOSS

The leaders of the Telugu Desam Party, the CPI, CPM and the YSR Congress Party deplored that the oil companies were showing no accountability to the people as they had increased prices of petrol nearly four times so far in this year alone. The government was showing utter disregard to the fact that the fuel price hike was indirectly leading to unchecked price rise by way of its impact on the prices of essential commodities and so on, they said.

TDP district president Devineni Umamaheswara Rao said the Congress party would have to pay a heavy price for its indifference to the plight of the people in the wake of increased fuel prices and the rising costs of living all over.

He said their party would create awareness among the people about the injustice being done by the Centre with regard to the fuel prices. He demanded that the hike be withdrawn immediately and abstain from any such measures in future.

Effigy burnt

Party leaders burnt an effigy of Central government protesting the hike with all important leaders from the district participating in it on its office premises on the M.G. Road in the city.

CPI city unit secretary K. Subba Raju led the party activists in organising a human chain and protest demonstration at Lenin Centre. The Opposition parties are unanimous in condemning the increase in petrol prices with all leaders demanding immediate rollback to avoid any further burden on the common people. They held protest demonstrations and dharnas to convey their dissatisfaction over the latest steep price hike.CPI city unit secretary K. Subba Raju led the party activists in organising a human chain and protest demonstration at Lenin Centre.

Addressing the party workers and people on the occasion, he said the oil companies in the country were indiscriminately increasing the fuel prices in the name of depreciation of rupee and increasing prices of crude oil in the international market. “But these companies are not reciprocating the same when rupee recovered or international crude prices are reduced.

This is highly objectionable,” he said.

The Communist Party of India (Marxist) district committee secretary V. Umamaheswara Rao lamented that the oil companies had “looted” the people in the district to a tune of Rs. 250 crore by increasing the fuel prices so far this year.

He took objection to an oil company's statement that the price was hiked by Rs. 1.80 per litre because of the increase in international crude prices. The YSR Congress Party city leader Devireddy Ravindranath Reddy blamed the Congress-led alliance at the Centre for the repeated hikes in petrol prices.

He criticised the Union government for not trying to curb the oil company but simply giving green signal for fuel price hike without considering the problems of the people. P district president Devineni Umamaheswara Rao said the Congress party would have to pay a heavy price for its indifference to the plight of the people in the wake of increased fuel prices and the rising costs of living all over.

He said their party would create awareness among the people about the injustice being done by the Centre with regard to the fuel prices. He demanded that the hike be withdrawn immediately and abstain from any such measures in future.

The TMC is the second largest party in the UPA coalition, next only to the Congress, which has 207 seats in the Lok Sabha. Decrying the fact that the Congress government chose to unilaterally increase prices without consulting allies, the West Bengal CM said she could not remain silent any more.

At the state secretariat, the Writers’ Building, she said, “We have witnessed 11 fuel price hikes in the last 12 months, which could have no justification, especially given the fact that this boomerangs into an overall inflationary pressure for the economy.” She said shee respected and appreciated her MPs’ decision to pull out but would await the Prime Minister’s return before deciding.

“They did not consult coalition parties about the hike. Yet, I will await the PM’s return. Today, if I withdraw support, the government will fall. I have the basic courtesy to await his return before I take the final call,” she said. Our parliamentary committee members comprising 25 MPs from both houses have taken the decision to withdraw support from the UPA,” Banerjee said. However, she added, the final call will be taken after meeting Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who is in France attending the G-20 summit. “We are a party of the people and we cannot and will not take responsibility for the decision to keep burdening the people with more and more price rise,” she said. They did not consult coalition parties about the hike. Yet, I will await the PM’s return. Today, if I withdraw support, the government will fall. I have the basic courtesy to await his return before I take the final call,” she said.

Adding: “Somebody has to bell the cat and I am happy that our MPs have taken such a decision.” The MPs, accompanied possibly by West Bengal commerce minister Partha Chatterjee, would meet the PM on November 9 or 10 to discuss a roll back and some more lasting solution.

The CM’s declaration was preceded by a joint press conference with Union commerce and industry minister and senior Congress leader Anand Sharma, on textile sector plans for the state. When asked about the fuel price rise, Sharma said, “Banerjee has expressed her concerns and I will convey this to the PM and the UPA chairperson, Sonia Gandhi.” Banerjee was mum on the issue at the joint press conference and then attended the parliamentary committee meeting, later making the announcement.

Her ultimatum would be the first major threat to the UPA’s survival since it was re-elected to the Centre in 2009.

Banerjee, since coming to power, has asked the Centre for a bailout package to address the state’s troubled finances. Today, she said she’d borne the Centre’s apathy, was above it, and would not resort to “blackmail and bargain”.