November 4, 2011
Trinamool Parliamentary Party in favor of withdrawing support from UPA over fuel price hike
Paschimbanga Chief Minister Ms. Mamata Banerjee once again proved that her foremost concern is Maa-Mati-Manush and will always stand by her commitment with utter conviction.
The matter came up on Thursday late evening when the Trinamool Congress came to know that the UPA Government was once again planning to hike the petroleum prices. This time too the UPA Government did not care to inform or discuss before taking such hasty decision in spite of repeated requests by the Trinamool Congress. `We have time and again expressed our dissatisfaction over the attitude of the UPA Government towards us forgetting that we are among the second major ally in the Centre`, said Ms. Banerjee.
Trinamool Congress wanted to withdraw from the Union Cabinet, Trinamool Congress Chairperson Mamata Banerjee announced on Friday. The decision, was taken unanimously by the Trinamool parliamentary party that met in the city, to protest against the fuel hike.
`Trinamool Congress Parliamentary Party is in favor to pullout of UPA, but final call will be taken after Prime Minister's return,` said Mamata Banerjee.
Ms. Banerjee said Trinamool Congress leaders would meet the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh once he returns from abroad to inform him of the decision.. `All our MPs would meet the prime minister and inform him of our decision,` said Ms. Banerjee.
`We can compromise on every count, but if decisions put great stress on the common man repeatedly we can’t compromise, ` said Ms. Banerjee, explaining the rationale of her party’s strong and rather unexpected decision.
Trinamool is the second biggest constituent of the UPA government at the Centre with 19 MPs.
`Petro prices were raised 11 times in the past 12 months. None were consulted before taking these decisions for price hike that puts people in great distress,` said Ms. Banerjee.
`The price of petrol has been raised. But now diesel and that of LPG would also be hiked,` said the Trinamool Congress Chairperson.
`We have protested such price hikes in the past but to no avail. If such unilateral decisions are taken the common people come under great stress,` added the Trinamool Congress Chairperson.
`There is no mechanism for us to register our protest. Dinesh Trivedi is the sole minister who finds himself lonely and outnumbered in the cabinet,` Ms. Banerjee said.
`There are some moments when price hikes in the global markets make price revisions unavoidable. But such repeated revisions cannot be tolerated,` Ms. Banerjee said.
