Slamming the Centre for the hike in diesel prices and cap on subsidised LPG cylinders for domestic use, Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati on Friday asked the UPA government to review the decisions.
She said the decisions were “deeply saddening and anti-people’’ and will hurt the poor, the middle income group and farmers in the coming days.
Speaking to journalists here she advised the ruling Congress to introspect deeply on its “anti-people’’ policies, deteriorating law and order situation and matters relating to the country’s borders during its ongoing chintan shivir in Jaipur.
She expressed the apprehension that after taking pre-budget harsh measures, the ruling alliance may go in for a populist budget before dissolving the Lok Sabha as it will realise that running the government after such steps was not feasible.
She, however, ruled out withdrawing her party’s outside support to the UPA government saying it will give them a pretext to claim that they could have done “wonders’’ otherwise.
Demanding supply of at least 12 LPG cylinders per year to a family, she said the decision to increase the subsidised cylinder cap from six to nine was not enough. “By limiting the number of gas cylinders not only has the government upset the domestic budget but is signalling that people, especially rural population, should resort to old and antiquated methods of energy utilisation which is not good for the environment.’’
“We want the government to review both its decisions,’’ she said.
She said the recent substantial hike in rail fares before the budget shows that the Congress hand (party symbol) was not with the poor but with the rich and capitalists.’’
“We are giving them a full chance to do wonders now. We will expose them during Lok Sabha elections,’’ she added.
On Thursday the government allowed state-run oil marketing companies to periodically revise diesel rates till the subsidy goes and to raise the subsidised LPG cylinder cap from six to nine, forcing people to buy their requirement beyond this number at full market rates
