Congress has to decide the fate of UPA: Mukul Roy

Zeenews Bureau New Delhi/Kolkata: Although the Congress has made it categorically clear that there will be no going back on diesel price hike and FDI in retail, the Trinamool Congress appeared resolute on its decision to withdraw support to the UPA government. Minutes after a meeting of the Congress Core Committee where the ruling party decided to stick to the forward steps it has taken on reforms front, TMC chief Mamata Banerjee’s close confidante and railway minister Mukul Roy said, “Yesterday Ms Mamatji has made it clear that the Trinamool Congress is against any hike in diesel, cap on LPG and FDI in retail.” Stressing that there is no scope for compromise as far as the party’s stand on the issue is concerned, Roy said, “The party has taken the decision that all the ministers will submit the resignation on Friday evening.” On whether there was a way out of the stalemate, he said: "We have announced our decision. We can`t support anti-people policies. Now the ball is in the Congress court. It is for them to decide the fate of UPA." Speaking to a news channel, Roy said that he is not in talks with anyone from the government or the Congress on the issue. He also denied that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had passed on a message through him to Mamata. Reports said that the government sought to reach out to Mamata Banerjee four days ago to explain the background behind the decisions it took. The Prime Minister tried to speak to Banerjee twice over phone but she did not return the calls. Then Railway Minister Mukul Roy was contacted, the sources said, adding Roy acknowledged that Banerjee had received the message.

However, Roy said today that nobody from the Government has spoken to him after Mamata Banerjee decided on withdrawing support last night. “I am not getting any message from anybody on anything. The news that Congress has passed on a message through me is absolutely wrong,” he added. Govt to explain to Trinamool its decisions/b> Meanwhile, sources claimed that the UPA government will explain the background behind its decisions to the Trinamool Congress. Sources said after a meeting of the top Congress leadership that the government would explain to Trinamool Congress ministers the circumstances under which these decisions were taken. TMC MP demands PM’s resignation Asserting that the UPA government has lost its moral right to continue Trinamool Congress MP Kunal Ghosh today demanded that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh step down and seek a fresh mandate. "Before accepting the resignation of Trinamool Congres ministers, the Prime Minister should step down and seek a fresh mandate on whether the country is permitting his policies or not," the MP said in a tweet.