United Progressive Alliance’s largest ally Trinamool Congress on Friday strongly protested the unilateral petrol price hike, but said it has not taken any decision to pull out of the government and entrusted party supremo Mamata Banerjee to have the ‘final word’ on the issue.
“The Trinamool Congress parliamentary party registers its strong protest with the UPA government for keeping allies in the dark while taking such a decision which has angered the people,” party chief whip in Lok Sabha Sudip Bandopadhyay told reporters after an emergency meeting.
“No decision was taken to pull out of the government.
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We will report back to party chief Mamata Banerjee. Whatever decision will be taken by her,” Mr. Bandopadhyay said when asked if the party would pull out of the UPA government.
“Our party chief Mamata Banerjee is angry that she was not consulted and UPA’s largest ally was kept in the dark. The way in which the petrol price hike was introduced, was opposed by our party,” Mr. Bandopadhyay said.
Maintaining that it was difficult for the Trinamool Congress to accept the petrol price hike, he said, “We are deeply concerned as it has affected the common man.”
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The meeting, held at Trinamool Bhavan, was attended by all party Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha members, besides Railway minister Dinesh Trivedi and union ministers of state and chaired by all-India general secretary and minister of state for Shipping Mukul Roy.
Mr. Bandopadhyay earlier said that the “lack of coordination” in the UPA was manifest in the unilateral decisions that the Centre was taking on vital issues.
The Trinamool parliamentary party leader said the party’s suggestion for a meeting with UPA allies at least once in two or three months had not been heeded.