Fuel price-hike: Left mock Mamata's doublespeak

Trinamool Congress Supremo and West Bengal Chief Minister again opposed sharp hike in fuel price and decontrol of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) issuing a threat to withdraw support from UPA government.

Demanding a rollback of Rs 5 hike in diesel price, she alleged that the UPA government is taking decisions bypassing its Coordination Committee, formed after long time, and without consulting its partners.

UPA government has hiked petro-prices 17 times since last year. It was hiked 11 times in 2011 calendar year and 6 times this year. Left Front, SUCI (C) and CPIML (Liberation) also opposed it vehemently and demand immediate roll-back. Leftists have ridiculed ‘Mamata Banerjee’s ‘doublespeak’ on this issue reminding ‘She was the railway Minister of UPA Government which decided to decontrol petro-products on June 28, 2010.’

CPI leader Debasish Dutta said, “It is nothing but doublespeak to confuse the people. The decision to decontrol prices was taken when TMC chief Mamata Banerjee was a cabinet minister. “

“When the petrol price was decontrolled, Mamata Bannerjee was railway minister of the UPA Cabinet. Why didn't she protest then? When you are in the cabinet, you allow the prices to be increased. What is the meaning of protesting against the price rise now?”

Debasish Dutta reminded that Mamata resorted to pullout threat against UPA government in last November too. But her threatening was challenged by the then Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, who said, “Since Banerjee had already agreed to the government’s decision to decontrol petrol prices a year back, she had no reason to oppose its fallout more than a year later. The decision of deregulating petrol prices was taken on June 28, 2010. (It was decided that) out of four important petroleum products, petrol will be decontrolled and oil marketing companies would decide prices of petrol depending on the market. And they have done it several times.”

Criticising ‘anti-people decision’ Left Front Chairman Biman Bose said in a statement, “Already people’s life became miserable due to sky-rocketing prices of essential commodities. Latest decision to hike diesel price by Rs 5 per liter is bound to add fire to market (prices)” Criticising limiting subsidy to only 6 cylinders per year he said, “This will hit the middle-class badly.”

SUCI (C)’s state general Secretary Soumen Basu said, “This hike, announced despite the oil and gas PSUs and Corporates posted all time high profit, has clearly exposed the UPA government’s anti-‘aam admi’ character. This is extremely ant-people decision which is certain to affect the poor and middle class badly.”  The party will jump on the street through “picketing, road-blocking, burning effigies of Prime Minister and Petroleum Minister all over the state today protesting petro-price hike,” Mr Bose said.

CPIML (Liberation’s national secretariat member Kartik Pal termed the decision as ‘anti-farmer, anti-poor and middle class and against common people of India’. He also termed the decision to ‘please the petro-giants’. CPIML didn’t hesitate to criticize West Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee too. “All she is saying and doing regarding petro-price hike is just gimmicks. She was one of those who decided to decontrol prices of petro-products and now opposing it. This is her doublespeak,” Pal added.

In fact Mamata Banerjee has opposed UPA’s every decision to hike petro-prices since she became Chief Minister. Threatening withdrawal of support she said on Thursday, “If people do not mind, I will be most happy to withdraw support. But other parties will come to rescue them in case I withdraw support and then will blame us for steps which led to UPA’s collapse. People had misunderstood us earlier when we had withdrawn support.” Therefore, we are having," She assured her supporters to decide further course of action after a detailed discussion in the party on. “Trinamool Congress is with the people. Whatever strong decision will have to be taken we will take. We will not compromise,” she added.