The Congress leaders are speaking different voices on the steep increase in petrol prices ahead of the extended Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting called to discuss the economic and current situation in the country on June 4 here.
While the government has been defending the hike saying it was inevitable and the market is determining the price for petrol, politically the Congress is isolated.
Even the allies such as the Trinamul Congress, the DMK and the NCP, who have been sharing power with the Congress, refused to justify the steep hike. Defence minister A.K. Antony broke his silence on this burning issue only after Delhi chief minister Shiela Dikshit gave some relief reducing VAT on it.
Before that Congress MP Praveen Aron opposed it. Later the special invitee to the CWC Anil Shastri expressed concern on it saying, “Common man is awaiting the government’s decision to roll back petrol prices.
There’s great anger against the government on its decision to increase prices,” Mr Shastri said on the microblogging site Twitter.
Mr Antony, the senior party leader and member of the core group said in Kerala recently, “It was not a correct step .the oil companies should have shown some propriety.”
As per the reports, Maharashtra chief minister Prathviraj Chavan was against the rollback, but later he took a different stand. And finally, he would toe the party line expected to be decided by the CWC on June 4.
It will be interesting to see how the CWC members would react to the steep increase in the petrol prices and essential commodities.
Earlier, some of the CWC members had attacked Union minister Sharad Pawar for the escalating prices when he was handling consumer affairs, food and public distribution portfolio. But will they show the same spirit in attacking the petroleum and natural gas minister and consumer affairs, food and public distribution minister?
Meanwhile, the Congress on Wednesday steered clear of Mr Antony’s remarks that it was 'not a correct step' and the oil companies should have shown some 'propriety' before taking the decision.
Party spokesperson Rashid Alvi refused to come out with a categorical response on Mr Antony’s remarks despite repeated questions with his refrain being 'petroleum minister (S. Jaipal Reddy) is competent to answer this question'.