The Hindu : Front Page : We will oppose oil price hike, says Karat

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Jun 02, 2006

Front Page

Front Page

We will oppose oil price hike, says Karat

K.V. Prasad

To prepare a `comprehensive' note on areas of disagreement with the UPA

NEW DELHI: The Left parties on Thursday threatened to stage protests all over the country against the proposed move by the Government to increase raise prices of petroleum products. They also decided to coordinate with other political parties on the issue.

The Left parties will send a comprehensive note to the United Progressive Alliance (UPA), listing out the `areas of disagreement' and issues it should take up on priority.

These decisions were arrived at a coordination meeting of four Left parties, which met here for the first time after the recent electoral victories in West Bengal and Kerala.

Office of Profit issue

On the Office of Profit Bill that was sent back by the President to Parliament, the parties said it should be taken up in the Monsoon session and sent back to the President as per the Constitutional position.

Communist Party of India (Marxist) general secretary Prakash Karat told presspersons that the proposed fifth hike in petroleum prices by the UPA Government could not be justified.

They have been asking the Government to restructure the taxation structure, besides making an effective case to cut down Customs and Excise duties on petroleum products to offset rising international prices.

"We have decided to oppose the hike. If the Government announces it, we will consult various political parties and organisations for country-wide protests on a mutually agreed date."

`Common man will be hit'

The price increase would affect the common man, who was already suffering owing to rise in prices of essential commodities such as wheat and flour.

Mr. Karat said the Left parties would prefer to have a coordination meeting with the UPA only after it examined the comprehensive note sent by them.

The Left do not want the Election Commission to be drawn into any controversy on the Office of Profit Bill issue.

Mr. Karat said this in the light of the Bharatiya Janata Party's appeal to the Commission, asking it to expedite the complaints against some MPs and MLAs allegedly holding offices of profit.

Mr. Karat said he had written to the President against the complaint of a Trinamool Congress functionary and that the Commission should have rejected the petition right in the beginning, instead of seeking more information from the complainant.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail