New Delhi, June 29: Congress today sought to turn the tables on BJP over fuel price hike pointing out that the Opposition-ruled states are not reducing any taxes on the petroleum products to give relief to common man.
Noting that fuel prices will have to be raised in view of a scenrario where prices of the crude oil are rising internationally, party spokesperson Jayanthi Natarajan said that states ruled by Congress like Haryana and West Bengal where a Congress-TMC alliance is in government have reduced VAT and other taxes.
“But not a single BJP-ruled state has reduced it. Mamata Banerjee has done it in West Bengal. Taxes have also been reduced in Haryana and other Congress ruled states as also in Tamil Nadu. However, BJP ruled states are not doing any such thing,” she said adding that states are equally responsible for price rise.
Natarjan also attacked BJP President Nitin Gadkari for his attack on the Prime Minister after the latter's media interaction.
“BJP President never issues constructive statements.
There are only interested in destabilising,” she said. Natarjan also steered clear on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's remarks that he has no hesitation in bringing himself under purview of the Lokpal but his Cabinet colleagues view that bringing the institution of Prime Minister under Lokpal would create an element of instability. “Congress stand has been clearly splet out by media department chief Janardan Dwivedi. Congress will accept whatever stand the government takes into the matter,” was the brief refrain of Natarajan to repeated questions on the issue.
Natarajan also noted that BJP has not spelt out its stand on Lokpal issue so far.
She refused to “interpret” the remarks made by the Prime Minister on other issues during his 100-minute long interaction with five print media editors.
The Congress spokesperson also parried a question on whether the Prime Minister decided to hold this interaction after a prodding by the Congress Working Committee, which had met a few days back.Natarajan said she was not a member of CWC and hence she was not privy to what was discussed in the meeting, adding that she would not have shared details of the internal discussion of the party forum even otherwise.
“There was no such feeling in the party,” was her response whe asked whether the party felt that the Prime Minister should speak out more often on such issues.
A senior party leader speaking on the condition of anonymity, however, expressed satisfaction over the Prime Minister's media interaction saying that his speaking does help in putting the government perspective on contentious issues in public domain in a better way. PTI
