The BJP has asked UP chief minister Mayawati and Samajwadi Party president Mulayam Singh Yadav to explain their stand regarding the UPA government in view of the recent hike in prices of petroleum products.
“These two leaders are supporting the UPA government and also criticising the price hike. If they are genuinely concerned about the price hike and inflation, will they withdraw support to the Centre? How can they oppose and support at the same time,” asked UP BJP president, Surya Pratap Shahi while addressing a press conference here on Sunday.
Mr Shahi announced that all BJP units at the village and ward-level would register their protest against price hike from July 1 to 3 by burning effigies.
The state BJP president said that within hours of the increase in prices of petrol, diesel, kerosene and LPG, the rates of public transport and freight charges had gone up leading to a 20 to 25 per cent increase in prices of all essential commodities.
“The UPA government is driving people to the brink of starvation and even the affluent classes are now being forced to cut corners in their kitchens,” he said.
“This is an economic emergency and was announced on the anniversary of the 1975 Emergency. The repercussion of this will be dangerous and will have an adverse impact on economic growth and small and medium industries. It will also have a damaging impact on agricultural growth and production,” he said. Mr Shahi said that the Mayawati government in the state was as much to blame for inflation as the central government because the state had failed to check hoarding and black marketing of essential commodities.