New Delhi:
Dubbing the Rs 2 per litre cut in petrol price as 'token', UPA ally Trinamool Congress as well as other opposition parties today demanded a 'complete rollback' and said they would not settle for anything less. The state-run oil companies have announced the reduction in petrol prices today, which will be effective from midnight tonight, after increasing the price by Rs 7.50 per litre On May 23.
Reacting to the state-run oil companies to reduce petrol price, Trinamool Congress chief and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said, "I am not happy at the cut in petrol price by Rs two per litre. It is not enough. It is still a burden on the common man. There should have been a total rollback of the hike."
Terming the reduction in prices as 'totally inadequate', CPI National Secretary D Raja also demanded the oil companies should go for a 'complete rollback' because they had effected "such an outrageously steep hike when international crude prices were declining".
Maintaining that the government's view that it did not have any role in the price fixation for petrol due to de-regulation was 'ridiculous', Mr Raja said the oil companies have been following the government diktats regularly. "Otherwise, why did they not raise the prices when Parliament was in session," said Mr Raja. He said the decision came two days after nationwide protests by Left and other parties.
CPI(M) Politbureau said the partial rollback was "unacceptable" and Left parties will continue their agitation for reversal of the price increase.
BJP spokesperson Rajiv Pratap Rudy also pressed for a 'total rollback' and wondered whether the hike of Rs 6 per litre after the partial rollback was 'acceptable' to the UPA allies. "I want to know whether they (UPA allies) are worth this," Mr Rudy said. He said people of the country are not satisfied with the token rollback and will teach the UPA a "lesson in the coming days".
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa termed the partial rollback as an "eyewash" and demanded a complete rollback. In a statement, the AIADMK supremo said, "This small reduction will not soothe people's anger. It will continue to be a burden on poor and middle class".
She said the decision by the Congress-led UPA to reduce the hike by Rs two reminded her of the Tamil proverb, "feeding popcorns to the hungry elephant." Recalling her earlier criticism, Ms Jayalalithaa said petrol prices were hiked, when people were already burdened by the price rise because of the Centre's "wrong economic policies."