Nov. 4: Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee today warned Delhi that the Trinamul Congress could pull out of the UPA government if it “did not think about the masses” and also listen to her party.
After a meeting of her party’s parliamentary committee emergency meeting this morning — which followed the petrol price hike announced by the Union government last night — her party MPs met Mamata at Writers’ Buildings in Calcutta.
In New Delhi, the Congress asked the government to find a way out. Indian Oil Corporation has ruled out a rollback but hinted at the possibility of a cut if the Centre issued a directive.
The Centre has so far been saying that it has no role in deciding the price of petrol, which was decontrolled in 2010 when Mamata was part of the Union cabinet.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh appeared to be sticking to that stand this evening, saying that “these are sensitive areas and we should allow the market to follow its level”.
“We should move more and more in the direction of deregulation of fuel prices,” Singh said in Cannes where he is attending the G20 meeting.
In Calcutta, Mamata said: “Our MPs and central ministers are not willing to continue as allies of the government. What is the point of staying in the government, if people are burdened? For one cabinet post, we can’t remain in the ministry. Somebody has to bell the cat.”
But Mamata said she had asked them to “wait for a few days”. “They have given to me in writing their desire to pull out of the government. But I have amended what they have said,” Mamata said. “Without our support, the government will collapse. I don’t want that to happen when the Prime Minister is away from the country. I have told them to first meet the Prime Minister when he returns, may be meet him on November 8 or 9, whenever he has the time. Then they should tell him that this burden on the people can’t be accepted and also about their decision.”
Mamata said that all her ministers, MPs and senior state minister Partha Chatterjee would attend the meeting and convey their feelings.
But she was quick to add: “Before going ahead with such a serious decision, we must talk first. We fought the elections as partners and would want to stay together for the full term. But the Centre also has to ensure that the allies remain with it, their views are heard. The Centre must also listen to us.”
Asked whether a rollback was acceptable to her, she questioned the reasoning behind the repeated hikes. Mamata put the blame for the fuel price squarely on the Congress.
“In the last 12 months, 11 times there has been a hike in fuel prices. The decisions were taken without consulting us. It is intolerable. Jaipal Reddy has said that price of domestic LPG, diesel will go up once again. Rs 900 will be charged for domestic LPG cylinders. When the international prices go down, they don’t reduce the price. I have accepted this as long as I could. Now, I want an answer from them,” Mamata said.
Since the fuel price hike was announced last night, Mamata called up Union rural development minister Jairam Ramesh and conveyed her resentment at the decision.
While the Trinamul MPs were brainstorming, Mamata held a meeting with Union commerce and industry minister Anand Sharma who called on her in the afternoon.
“I told him that decisions that have an impact on the country should not be taken when the Prime Minister is abroad. I have requested him to talk to the PM,” she said.
Mamata wants her MPs to appeal to the Prime Minister not to over-burden the people. “We are not doing anything wrong. With folded hands I will tell the Centre to please take care of the people,” she said.
Mamata said she was did not want to “cling to power” in Delhi. “I had earlier walked out (from the NDA government),” Mamata said. “You all had called it impulsive. But it is not that. We cannot allow people to be burdened.”
