Bangalore: Slamming the diesel price hike as a 'betrayal of aam aadmi (common people),' BJP today accused UPA allies of adopting "double standards", saying they verbally protested against increase but supported the government whenever it was in deep trouble.
"It is now test of the (UPA) allies. They only make verbal protests, but they approve and support the government whenever it is in deep trouble. UPA allies must explain to the people (about their double standards) because they are partners in the crime," BJP spokesperson Prakash Javadekar told reporters here.
All UPA allies were protesting the latest diesel price hike which showed that the Congress had not learnt the art of coalition, he said.
The hike in diesel and LPG prices was "betrayal of aam aadmi (common people) and it will have cascading effect on cost of essential commodities, resulting in further inflation and price hike," he said demanding rollback of the increase.
On Congress' claim that the opposition knew about the diesel price hike, he said when the party was not even consulting its allies, "where is the issue of consultations with BJP."
Javadekar said government can reduce taxation and ask oil companies to be more efficient. "Under recovery is not a correct notion. We should not depend fully on figures of under recovery as it is exaggerated," he added.
On stock markets fear that the rollback of diesel prices would send a wrong signal to the world, Javadekar said the country was not dictated by share market.
PTI
First Published: Friday, September 14, 2012, 21:34