As protests against the biggest-ever hike in petrol prices grew intense, the government felt extreme pressure Thursday as ministers of two allies — Trinamul Congress and DMK — stayed away from a Union Cabinet meeting.
The BJP-led NDA and the Left parties have called a “Bharat bandh” on May 31 in protest against the petrol price hike.
The Congress too expressed displeasure, forcing petroleum minister S. Jaipal Reddy to return early from a visit to Turkmenistan to deal with the fallout of the `7.50/litre hike. The Congress leadership is said to be unhappy at the hike’s quantum and “timing” — with the BJP beginning its national executive session in Mumbai. “Because of this the BJP could shift the focus from its internal squabbling,” a party leader said.
Trinamul’s Mukul Roy and the DMK’s M.K. Azhagiri were absent from Thursday’s Cabinet meeting, clearly indicating they were unhappy over the decision. Mr Roy even led a public protest against the hike in Kolk-ata on Thursday evening.
Two Congress-led state governments — Kerala and Uttarakhand — swiftly reduced VAT (value added tax) on petrol, bringing down its price by up to 25 per cent of the hike.