JOIN USIn a thinly veiled threat that it could withdraw support to the UPA government, Trinamool Congress on Friday issued a 72-hour ultimatum to the Centre to reverse decisions on diesel price hike, cap on LPG cylinders and FDI in multi-brand retailing.
“We don’t agree to these decisions. The government will have to reconsider the decisions regarding hike in diesel price, cap of six per annum on LPG cylinders at subsidised rates and FDI in multi-brand retail within 72 hours. We are giving a 72-hour deadline to the Congress to rethink over the decision else our party is ready to take any decision,” Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha MP Kunal Ghosh said.
“The Trinamool always stood against any kind of price rise. Mamata Banerjee has repeatedly asked the Centre to take concrete steps to bring back the black money from abroad, but they have not heeded,” he said.
Asked if his party is prepared to withdraw support to the government, Ghosh said, “We are ready to take any kind of decision. We have called an urgent meeting of the parliamentary party on September 18”.
Trinamool All India general secretary Mukul Roy said, “The TMC is opposed to FDI in retail sector. There is no doubt that we are opposing the decision. TMC was not consulted before be it on price hike or FDI in multi-brand retail”.
He said quitting the government is a call for the party as a whole and he could not comment as an individual.
Party leader and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, when questioned on leaving the government, said: “I would be happy to withdraw support at the very moment. But if I withdraw the support other parties will come up to support (the government). (Then) they will accuse me of creating instability”.
It is expected that the party will take a final decision on leaving the government at the Parliamentary party’s emergency meeting called on September 18, in which Mamata Banerjee is also expected to be present.
In November, the Union cabinet decided to allow up to 51 percent FDI in multi-brand retail. But the move was kept in abeyance following protests from opposition as well as some of the allies of the ruling United Progressive Alliance.