BJP first deregulated fuel prices: Congress
In a bid to turn the table on the BJP over recent petroleum price hike, the Congress on Monday said it was the NDA government led by Mr Atal Bihari Vajpayee, which first dismantled the administrative price mechanism (APM) for the products. The party has then questioned as to why the saffron party is now criticising the present government’s move to deregulate prices of petrol and diesel.
Defending the government’s decision to hike the prices of petroleum products, the Congress said, “tough economic decisions” are taken in view of “long-term national interest”.
Rejecting BJP’s demand that PM Manmohan Singh and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi should explain reasons for the recent hike in prices of petroleum products, AICC spokesperson Manish Tiwari said, “They are shedding crocodile tears. They know the reasons, as it was BJP-led NDA, which first took the decision to dismantle APM in 2002. Now how can they criticise the government for doing exactly what they did eight years ago.”
Further arguing the reasons, Mr Tiwari said, 70 per cent of India’s oil need is met through imports and “the country does not have a role in the price fixation” of petroleum products internationally.
When asked whether the decision would not have adverse political impact on the Congress, the spokes-person said, “Economy can not run on rhetoric and emotions. It has its own logic. And we calculate political cost before taking a decision and move on. Last year, one BJP leader dubbed Congress, as an economic terrorist, but you see the elections results, which are there in front of you.”
The Congress leader, however, admitted that it was a “matter of concern” when a burden is passed on to the common man but said it was due to compulsions. He emphasised on the need for having a regulator in the decontrolled regime in the petroleum sector and sought the implementation of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board Act, which was passed during the NDA’s tenure. To a query whether there could be a rollback of prices, the spokesman said that the government took the decision after taking all aspects into consideration.
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