Indore: BJP intends to pillory the government
on the issue of price rise both inside and outside Parliament
during the Budget session starting Monday and has planned a
"massive" gherao of the complex on April 21.
It alleged that union ministers have made money through
futures trading and demanded a Joint Parliamentary Committee
to look into the government`s omissions and commissions, which
it said were responsible for price rise.
The party went on the offensive on the issue at its
National Council meeting which concluded today with Leader of
Opposition in Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj giving hints that the
opposition would take the government to task on price rise
during the Budget session of Parliament.
"I am going to confront the government in the session on
this issue with facts and figures," Swaraj said, taking a dig
at Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
She felt one of the reasons behind price rise was that
Singh was an economist.
This was because inflation was an indication of growth and
the prime Minister likes to be complimented by the world over
the growth rate, she argued.
Swaraj said when BJP leaders met the Prime Minister on the
issue of price rise, he had reasoned that the situation was
not that bad if prices of pulses, sugar and vegetables are not
taken into account.
When she protested, the Prime Minister remarked "I cannot
argue with you as I also have to listen to these things at
home."
During the deliberations on the Economic Resolution,
Shivraj Singh Chouhan and B S Yeddyurappa - chief ministers of
BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka - attacked the Centre
for raising the prices of urea by 10 per cent while Bihar
Deputy CM Sushil Modi said Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar
alone was not responsible but also the Prime Minister.
Senior leader Shanta Kumar regretted that the number of
poor people living below poverty line had increased by 4.4
crore because of price rise while the assets of super rich
were increasing astronomically, widening the rich-poor divide.
Former Finance Minister Yashwant Sinha, who moved the
Economic Resolution, predicted that the way food inflation was
rising, the Wholesale Price Index would touch the double digit
by March-end.
"The price rise is because this government is good for
nothing, lacks political will and there was massive
corruption," he said.
In fact, Sinha alleged Congress had secured 206 seats with
the government spending 7 lakh crore more despite fiscal
problems.
The party plans to submit 5 crore signatures to President
Pratibha Patil on the issue of price rise, along with a set of
demands of the BJP.
It also alleged that members of the union cabinet had made
money through futures trading in commodity markets and wanted
a Joint Parliamentary Committee to be set up to look into the
government`s omissions and commissions, which it said were
responsible for price rise.
"BJP believes that the most important reason for price
rise, apart from incompetence and lack of leadership in the
government, is rampant corruption at all levels in government.
"Members of the cabinet have made money through futures
trading in the commodity markets," the party said in its
Economic Resolution.
Though BJP President Nitin Gadkari had earlier hinted that
some sections of the government may be beneficiaries of the
commodity market, this is the first time the party has come
out openly on the issue.
Sinha said, "The National Council of BJP demands that a
Joint Parliamentary Committee should be formed without delay
to enquire into all acts of omissions and commissions of the
government."
Quoting Gadkari, Sinha said only one per cent of the total
transaction of Rs 4.50 lakh crore in the commodity exchanges
resulted in delivery and the rest was pure speculation.
While holding the Prime Minister directly responsible for
price rise, he being the Chairman of the Cabinet Committee on
Prices, Sinha said there were differences in the cabinet on
the policy to be adopted to control prices.
"The ministers have started blaming each other. The Prime
Minister and his party is blaming the Food Minister, the Food
Minister is blaming the Prime Minister and reminding him of
the concept of collective responsibility of the cabinet. It is
a free for all," Sinha added.
PTI
