PM must speak on fuel price hike in Parl, demands TMC

KOLKATA: Trinamool Congress (TMC) will highlight the failure of the BJP-led Central government in the upcoming Monsoon session of the Parliament, scheduled to commence on Monday. The party has also demanded a statement of the Prime Minister on the sharp rise in the price of petroleum products and cooking gas.

Speaking about the fuel price hike, MP Sudip Bandyopadhyay, who is the leader of Trinamool Congress in Lok Sabha, on Sunday said TMC wanted a statement of the Prime Minister on the price hike of petroleum products and cooking gas. "The Prime Minister should make a statement on the matter in the Parliament. But, he is absolutely silent. The PM has said he would make a statement in the all-party meeting but not in the Parliament. TMC will not accept this and is likely to get support from the other Opposition parties," the MP added. Bandyopadhyay had also attended the meeting of the Opposition parties on Sunday ahead of the Monsoon session.

Sukhendu Sekhar Roy, chief whip of Trinamool Legislature Party in Rajya Sabha, said: "The middle class are facing extreme difficulties in running their households because of the rise in the price of petrol, diesel and cooking gas. We do not know when will it end. But, if we look at the reaction of the Central ministers, it seems as if nothing has happened."

Roy said the Centre had miserably failed to supply adequate vaccine doses to the states. "This bungling of the Centre needs to be highlighted. The Centre has lied over the supply of vaccine doses to the states," the MP claimed.

Political experts said Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was likely to visit Delhi towards the end of July. Banerjee is likely to meet the President and the Prime Minister. Her presence in Delhi particularly when the Parliament session is on will strengthen the move of the Opposition parties to highlight the failure of the Centre to combat the pandemic and control the price of petroleum products.

Meanwhile, sources claimed that TMC MPs would protest the petrol price hike in the national capital and are likely to ride bicycles, covering the 6-km stretch from the party's South Avenue headquarters in New Delhi to the Parliament, on Monday in protest against the fuel price hike. "They will reach the Parliament to attend the Monsoon session on bicycles," sources added.

Earlier, TMC MLA from Singur and minister Becharam Manna had travelled about 40km on bicycle to reach the state Assembly.