AAP slams Veerappa Moily, welcomes EC's decision on gas price hike

NEW DELHI: Aam Aadmi Party today accused Union Petroleum Minister Veerappa Moily of siding with Reliance Industries Limited ( RIL) over the issue of gas pricing and welcomed the Election Commission's directive to Central government to defer its decision of doubling the price of natural gas from April 1.

"The entire world knows why Veerappa Moily was brought to the ministry. It is not hidden secret that Jaipal Reddy had raised objection over hiking of gas price. Moily was brought to do the will of RIL and he did the job dutifully after joining office," Senior AAP leader Yogendra Yadav told reporters here.

While welcoming the EC's directive, Yadav raised questions over "silence" of Congress and BJP on the matter.

"AAP welcomes the EC's decision, but what astonishes us is the silence of Congress and BJP on the issue. We were expecting that both parties will also welcome the decision. But whenever Mukesh Ambani's name crops up, silence of BJP and Narendra Modi amazes us," he said.

EC had yesterday asked the UPA government to defer notifying doubling of price of the fuel produced by companies such as Reliance Industries till general elections are completed.

A new pricing regime was to be implemented from next month for all private and public sector natural gas producers under which rates were to rise to USD 8.3 next month from current USD 4.2 per million British thermal units.

The decision was opposed by Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) which alleged that it was taken to favour RIL.