New Delhi: With UPA allies crying foul over
petrol price hike, Congress on Friday indicated that there might
be a "partial rollback" of the hike in the next few days and
urged the government to provide "healing touch" to common man.
"Congress party is very concerned about the price rise
and calls upon the government to take measures, and hopes the
government will look into the matter very seriously," party
spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi told reporters here.
He said the party believes that the government will not
only take efforts to control the price rise but also consider
other ways and means to give relief to people, adding such a
"healing touch" and urgent measures are required.
A senior party leader, speaking on the condition of
anonymity, made it clear that the partial rollback of petrol
price will probably happen once Prime Minister Manmohan Singh
returns from abroad tomorrow. The leader also said the
consultations with other UPA allies on this issue will also
take place after Singh's arrival.
At the AICC briefing, Singhvi, however, refused to go
into the specifics of the measures that are likely to be taken
in this regard.
"I am not going into the specifics. We are not here to
fetter the jurisdiction and work of the government. Whichever
means has the desired effect will be highly desirable. But we
leave it to the discretion of the government to decide these
steps," he said.
The Congress spokesperson also found nothing wrong in
Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee's assertion over
the issue.
"I read her and other allies' comments as sensitive
concerns and certainly not as anything divisive," he said.
Shingvi also assured that "every element of the coalition
will be heard with understanding, seriousness and compassion".
His reactions came after Trinamool Congress, the largest
ally of UPA, strongly protested the unilateral petrol price
hike today and threatened to pull out of the ruling coalition.
"Our withdrawal of support may result in fall of the
government. But since the Prime Minister is away, we want to
discuss with him and have sought an appointment with him,"
Banerjee told reporters in Kolkata.
"Discussions are required before a vital decision is to
be taken," she said after her party's parliamentary wing
submitted a resolution to her calling to quit the UPA.
PTI
First Published: Friday, November 04, 2011, 15:49