Match-fixing' by Cong, Trinamool on diesel hike: Karat

TNN | Sep 15, 2012, 06.11AM IST

KOLKATA: CPI(M) general secretary Prakash Karat on Friday termed Trinamool Congress claims of not being consulted on the diesel and LPG price rise as "match-fixing". "Three days back the Cabinet Committee of Political Affairs (CCPA) had said it was to figure on its agenda. Trinamool is part of the committee. They will skip not attend the cabinet meeting and then say take a plea that they were not told," Karat said.

"The Trinamool Congress is an ally of the UPA. And no such decision can be taken without taking the allies in confidence. Congress doesn't have a majority," Karat said while speaking at a party function to commemorate the birth centenary celebrations of CPI(M)'s founder general-secretary P Sitaramaiah at Pramode Dasgupta Bhawan.

Earlier, speaking to the reporters at the NSCBI airport, Karat said: "The CPI(M) will hold discussions with other parties before launching a stir pressing for a rollback. Both the decisions of hiking the diesel price and restricting the supply of subsidized cooking to six cylinders per household in a year will hit the common man hard. CPI(M) has already criticised the decision of the Centre. We are going to discuss with other parties as to how to organise a common movement to demand the rollback of the decision."

Karat's statement also found resonance in the CPI(M)'s three-day extended state committee meeting, which began on Friday. In a statement, CPI(M) not only stopped at saying that Trinamool can't shun from its responsibility, it also said till the time the Centre makes a rollback, the state can very well withdraw the state component embedded in the prices. "The state also stands to benefit from the price increase," it said. Left Front chairman Biman Bose has already announced a series of agitation programmes in the state from Saturday.

State Congress president Pradip Bhattacharya also pointed why Union railway minister Mukul Roy chose to remain absent from the crucial cabinet meetings. "We all know it is a tough decision but sometimes tough decisions need to be taken. Trinamool, being our ally at the Centre, needs to be more sensible rather than trying to score political points " Bhattacharjee added. "

If they plan to launch agitations against the central government, then we can also launch stir against the wrongdoings and policies of the state government," Bhattacharjee added. Asked about the TMC's charges of not being informed about the decision, he said: "This is rubbish. They have a cabinet minister (Mukul Roy). All the important decisions are taken in the cabinet. Why does he always remain absent from the cabinet meeting?"

"Does he need a special invitation to be present at the cabinet meeting? Most of the times when there is a cabinet meeting, he stays in Kolkata and then Trinamool will say they were not informed. What is this?" he said.

BJP workers, on Friday morning, burned the effigy of PM Manmohan Singh and blocked roads in several parts of the state demanding rollback of diesel price hike and restoration of full subsidy on LPG cylinders.