By Nagender Ranta SHIMLA: Rajya Sabha MP and the CPI(M) politburo member Sita Ram Yechury flayed the Union UPA government for making a steep petrol price hike, calling it a savage attack on the people of the country.
Addressing a party rally for Shimla Municipal Corporation election here, Yechury said the Centre government is serving the interest of companies at the cost of the common man who is bearing the pain of this steep hike.
“The price increase is unwarranted because the international price of crude has fallen. They have fallen more than the fall in the value of the Indian rupee. Hence, there is no justification saying that our imports have become expensive and prices are to be hiked,” said the CPM leader.
On the petrol price rollback move of the Centre government, Yechury said, “ Now saying that they will reduce pit partly, is actually a shame exercise of deceiving the people. By increasing the prices the burden has already been put. It is also wrong and spurious argument that the petrol price hikes affects only rich. There are crores of people in India who are using 2- wheeler and their livelihood is to be extra burdened with this. This decision is not only wrong but also “obnoxious” burden on the people. This will feed the inflation further and that in addition will put extra burden on the people.”
The CPM leader announced that the left parties would have an India-wide protest on day May 31.
Explaining the stand of his party on the presidential candidate, he said, “we want that the next president of India should be someone who has the widest possible acceptance. For that talks will have to be held between various political parties, and the leader of the ruling coalition should take the initiative.”
He said that speculating the name of any eminent person would be not be good both for the individual and the country.Criticizing Trinamool Congress for its double standard Yechury said that the hike in the price rise was done by the approval of the Cabinet, hence, it was also party to the obnoxious decision of steep hike.
Commenting sarcastically on Trinamool Congress, the CPM leader said that the party is ‘running with the hares and hunting with the hound’. Inside the government they support the cabinet decision and outside protest against it. This double standard does not last long as people are very wise.
