The Hindu : Front Page : BJP launches stir against rising prices

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Feb 14, 2007
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BJP launches stir against rising prices

Special Correspondent

Use issue to gain electoral advantage, Rajnath Singh exhorts cadres

PRICE WARS: BJP president Rajnath Singh flagging off the party's campaign against rising prices in Delhi on Tuesday. - PHOTO: S. SUBRAMANIUM

NEW DELHI: The Bharatiya Janata Party on Tuesday launched a weeklong agitation in several parts of the country to protest the increase in prices of essential commodities.

In Delhi, BJP president Rajnath Singh flagged off six floats at the party headquarters depicting the upward movement of prices of foodgrains, sugar and pulses since the United Progressive Alliance Government took office at the Centre.

`Chautarpha mehngai maar, aam admi hai lachar' (With prices soaring all round, the common man is helpless), read one of the slogans on the floats that will go round the Capital for the next seven days.

"Similar agitations will also take place in other cities," said party spokesperson Siddhartha Nath Singh.

Mr. Rajnath Singh said the National Democratic Alliance Government led by Atal Bihari Vajpayee had contained inflation for six years by keeping a constant watch over the prices of essential items. There was no shortage of cooking gas, he claimed.

On the other hand, he charged, the UPA Government had betrayed the common man by allowing prices to soar. The prices of food items used daily were especially high, well above the over six per cent inflation rate.Mr. Rajnath Singh demanded a White Paper on the issue and wanted the Government to explain why it had not been able to control inflation "although we have an economist as Prime Minister".

He alleged the Congress had links with black-marketeers and hoarders.Mr. Singh hoped the BJP workers would use the issue effectively so that "whenever" and "wherever" elections took place they might succeed in ousting the Congress and its allies.

The party has been demanding an end to forward trading in essential commodities to prevent speculation fuelling prices.

It has also demanded appoitment of a high-power committee to review the situation on a weekly basis and recommend steps to check inflation.

In the ongoing State Assembly elections the BJP has targeted the ruling Congress in Punjab and Uttarakhand on the price rise issue.

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