The Opposition Congress and Left Front on Friday questioned West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s “silence” on the recent fuel price hike and asked her to cut taxes that are imposed by the State government on oil.
“There has been a fuel price hike and it is putting burden on common man. Chief Ministers of other States have criticised the decision. But it is only our Chief Minister who is yet to open her mouth against the price hike,” Congress leader and Leader of the Opposition Abdul Mannan told reporters during a joint press conference with CPI(M) leaders.
CPI(M) MLA and Left Front legislative party leader Sujan Chakraborty too questioned the silence of Chief Minister and said this proves the collusion between TMC and BJP.
‘Collusion between TMC and BJP’
“It only proves the collusion between TMC and BJP. If the Chief Minister is so serious about the common man, then she should cut down the taxes that the State government impose on oil prices,” Mr. Chakraborty said.
The petrol price has been hiked by a steep Rs 4.47 per litre and diesel by Rs 6.46 per litre in the last five weeks, taking retail rates to their highest level in a year. Oil companies hiked petrol price by Rs 2.58 per litre and diesel by Rs 2.26 a litre.
Although Ms Banerjee had maintained a silence on petrol price hike, but TMC’s national spokesperson Derek O’Brien had issued a statement and termed the fuel price hike as “burden on common man”.
Both Mr. Mannan and Mr. Chakraborty criticised the Chief Minister from not giving proper administrative instructions to stop post-poll violence in the State.
The joint legislature team of CPI(M) and Congress will soon visit the post poll violence affected areas of the State. - PTI
