Congress allies' opposition to price hike a pretence: Left and BJP

NEW DELHI: The Opposition on Friday accused Congress' allies of feigning anger over increase in prices of diesel and LPG and challenged them to withdraw support to the Manmohan Singh government.

"Whether it is the Trinamool Congress or the Samajwadi Party, their opposition to the hike is all pretence... All the allies of Congress are party to this increase in prices and are as responsible as Congress. They are in connivance," BJP spokesperson Rajiv Pratap Rudy said.

Referring to the allies' opposition, he said if they were so concerned about the "burden" on the common people, they should go to the Rashtrapati Bhavan and withdraw support to the Congress-led UPA government.

BJP said Congress was taking such decisions on the premise that it had the numbers. The Left also tried to call the allies' bluff dubbing its stand of opposing the hike and continuing support as double standards.

CPM said the Trinamool Congress was using the absence of its minister Mukul Roy in the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs meeting, which took the decision, as a "tool of convenience" to avoid criticism. "It is hypocrisy and double standard. They are running with the hare and hunting with the hounds," CPM polit bureau member Brinda Karat said.