Left opposes petrol price hike

Tara Shankar Sahay in New Delhi

Differences persisted in the United Front over the issue of petroleum price hike with the Left parties opposing the move in its steering committee meeting on Monday.

Briefing mediapersons after the meeting in New Delhi, UF spokesman Jaipal Reddy said that members of the Left parties, especially Sitaram Yechuri of the CPI-M, opposed Prime Minister I K Gujral's proposed petrol price hike, asserting that the people were in no position to pay more. The Left warned the government against unilaterally increasing the prices.

With Gujral and Finance Minister Palaniappan Chidambaram saying that the hike could not be postponed any more in view of the growing oil pool deficit, it was clear that the government was on politically slippery ground.

The spokesman said the meeting only discussed the petroleum price hike. This shows the women's reservation bill was in deeper trouble as its protagonists, led by Janata Dal working president Sharad Yadav, and opponents continued to lock horns over the issue. However, a JD general secretary said efforts were on to bring about consensus on the issue.

The presence of Bihar Chief Minister and JD president Laloo Prasad Yadav could have forced the meeting to steer clear of the fodder scam. With the Centre deciding to put the ball in Bihar Governor A R Kidwai's court, Laloo Yadav thinks he has earned yet another reprieve. Kidwai is still considering the CBI's request seeking his sanction for the chief minister's prosecution in the case.

However, Karnataka Chief Minister J H Patel felt that Laloo Yadav should resign as chief minister if chargesheeted, though he may continue as the JD president.

It was clear that the petroleum price hike had pushed the issue of Laloo Yadav's resignation to the background, at least for the time being.

But the core group of the UF, which met on Sunday morning, reportedly discussed the attack on Samajwadi Party leaders in Uttar Pradesh allegedly by the BSP-BJP combine. Railways Minister Ram Vilas Paswan and SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav said something had to be done to stop the 'tyranny' of the ruling combine in the state.