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Stating that there will be no turning back on the decision to exit the United Progressive Alliance government, Trinamool Congress leader Saugata Roy on Wednesday clarified that the decision to resign on Friday was taken only because the ministers had to personally submit their resignations and not because there may be some scope for a negotiation.
"All this is media's imagination. The media should understand that a resignation can only be submitted personally, we will submit our resignation to the Prime Minister only," Roy said.
"We have withdrawn support. According to business rules, all resignations have to be written in hand. We will give it to the Prime Minister. We have no option to consider. We have a principled stand and we have stood by the people: Roy," he added.
Roy further said TMC chief Mamata Banerjee has given three options, which is to increase subsidised LPGs from 9 to12, reduce diesel price to Rs 3 and remove FDI in retail.
"We have opposed FDI for three years. We are against the price hike. We have not taken these steps for profit," he added.
Banerjee had on Tuesday, after a three-hour-long meeting of party MPs, top leaders and office-bearers, declared that the Trinamool Congress would be pulling out of the UPA Government, but appeared to keep a window open by saying that the party's six members in the Union Cabinet would only give their resignations at 3 p.m. on Friday (September 21).
"We are never being heard, so what is the use being in the Centre? I have given enough chance to the UPA II, but the Centre is only taxing the poor people. The prices of petrol, diesel and fertiliser are on the rise. Even the government is putting enormous pressure on the common people by hiking the price of LPG," said Banerjee.
Banerjee said that the TMC ministers would tender their resignations in New Delhi on Friday.
The TMC's decision brings the UPA''s effective strength in the 545-seat Lok Sabha from 273 to 254, which is slightly below the halfway mark.
This would make the Congress-led UPA Government more dependent on the Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party, both of which extend outside legislative support to the UPA regime.