BJP asks UPA allies to build pressure on govt for a petrol price hike rollback

NEW DELHI: Calling the UPA "insensitive" to the problems of common man, BJP today said the Congress-led government has increased petrol prices ten times in just a year and demanded that its allies like TMC should build pressure on the Centre to roll back the latest hike.

The opposition alleged that UPA-II, under economist Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, has increased the price of petrol by a total of Rs 25 since it took office.

"We demand that the hike in petrol prices of Rs 3 per litre should be rolled back. UPA allies have issued statements condemning the hike but just issuing statements is not enough. They should build pressure on the government to roll back the prices," BJP spokesperson Shahnawaz Hussain said.

Mamata Banerjee-led TMC has spoken against the hike announced yesterday and also cautioned the government against going ahead with the proposed hike in prices of LPG cylinders.

Referring to TMC, Hussain took swipes at the government, saying, "TMC is the strongest ally of the Congress-led UPA. It has a lot of influence on the government. An accord with Bangladesh could not be signed due to opposition from Mamata. We expect her to enforce a roll back."

The BJP insisted that each time there is a price hike in petroleum products the government gains from the excise duty and claimed it had no right to do so.

Hussain charged the government with being "insensitive to the problems of common man and losing sleep over the interest of oil companies" and announced that the BJP would take the fight against petrol price hike from "Parliament to the streets".

"It will not be an exaggeration to say that Congress hand (also its poll symbol) with the common man has become a bane for him," Hussain said.