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A DAY after Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee announced a hike in fuel prices, Trinamool Congress, UPA’s second largest ally, hit the streets of Kolkata in protest.
Railway Minister and Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee, however, did not turn up at the rally, staying put at her Kalighat residence.
Later, she expressed her displeasure about the fuel price hike. “People are already reeling under the skyrocketing prices of essential commodities. The hike in petroleum prices will add to their burden.”
“I will write to Soniaji and Manmohanji, requesting them to roll back the price hike,” said Banerjee. “The Railways will also face a lot of hardship. It is difficult for us to run smoothly as we have not hiked the passenger fares,” she added.
Sudip Bandopadhyay, chief whip of the Trinamool Congress in Parliament, along with Partho Chatterjee, Leader of the Opposition in the state Assembly, led his party’s rally today, which culminated at the Metro Channel in Esplanade.
The Trinamool leaders said at the rally that they were not consulted before the announcement for the hike was made. “We had categorically made it clear to the Congress leadership that we were against hike in petrol and diesel prices,” said Bandopadhyay.
Asked why they did not participate in the walkout, Bandopadhyay said: “We are in the government and we could not have joined the Opposition parties. Had we joined, a wrong signal would have been sent to the people.” He, however, made it clear that the party will force the Centre to withdraw its decision on the fuel hike.
According to Chatterjee, the party will go in for a bigger movement against price rise by placing Banerjee at the forefront of the protest.
Ready to give jobs to Silda victims’ kin, Mamata tells Governor
Trinamool Congress chief and Railway Minister
Mamata Banerjee today met Governor M K Narayanan for the first time in Raj Bhavan after which she promised to give jobs to one family member of each of the 24 EFR personnel killed in the Naxal attack on Silda camp on February 15 besides a compensation package if the state government failed to provide the same.
The Trinamool chief once again raised the issue “state-sponsored terror” with the Governor and said the state government has no moral right to stay in power.
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new idea of subsidy to BPL on cooking gas they are opening a new road to corruption. make our india number one in this field
plz protest this fuel price hike,and save poor and normal people.
FM should not have brought petrol prices with budget but would have freed petrol prices from govt control. That way, the people would have paid another $5/litre extra. The petroleum prices are based on international crude price. It behaves same way in western world where gas prices are changed daily. When people's purchasing power is growing with economic growth, it is but natural that commodities are going to be expensive. Govt. has made tremendous improvement in transportation and infrastructure, let people park their cars and use public transit system. Government cannot run deficit budget for decades and money has to come from somewhere. This is not tax but reducing subsidy on petroleum products. Wake up Mamta Banerjee
Didi, please don't hoodwink public by your sham agitation against Union govt, of which you are an ally,for hike in fuel price.Nor, do you feign to plead ignorence when decision in this regard was made.Don't underestimate the level of popular intelligence either.
Didi, you've coarced FM to sanction extra fund for rly budget to project a pro-people image.You also stage the drama of protesting against the fuel price hike of your own govt to make a pro-people image again with a aview to captuering state power.You fleece center both ways to achieve your end.Thanks for your opportunistic politics.Jai Ho!
The 'drama of people-friendliness' is not a new one for Trinamool Congress and Mamata Banerjee. Where was she or her party members when budget was being tabled at parliament? It's a well constructed drama between Mamta and Congress so Mamta could demand its her success when Congress govt. at centre roll back (partially) the fuel price hike. Mamata knows how to propaganda. Just like she and her party doing in Bengal. She and Trinamool goons almost pushed the state towards verge of civil war and then she and her pet 'intellectuals' rushed to governor for demanding probe against 'terror'. Mamta and all the anti-socials of West Bengal kept Bengal people terrorised.
Mamta Didi,Can you resign this time,sacrificing West Bengal's Chief Minister's post. I'm telling you didi- you can't.