Date:05/06/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/06/05/stories/2008060560491200.htm

National

It’s economic terrorism: BJP

Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI: Demanding that the fuel price hike be rolled back, the Bharatiya Janata Party on Wednesday said it would hold demonstrations in every district headquarters in the country on Thursday.

Party spokesperson Rajiv Pratap Rudy described the government decision on price increase as “economic terrorism.”

If the price increase was inevitable as the Prime Minister said, then the UPA government’s exit was also inevitable, he said. It was “robbing” every Indian household by this price increase.

Mr. Rudy, however, did not respond to a question whether the BJP would freeze the prices of petroleum-based products, irrespective of the international crude price, if the party came to power in 2009.

Nor did he answer queries on the National Democratic Alliance government’s record in price increase — from about Rs. 2.50 to 9 a litre of kerosene over six years; from about Rs. 24 to just over Rs. 35 a litre of petrol; and of over Rs.100 on a cooking gas cylinder — when the price of international crude was less than $40 a barrel in 2004 as against around $130 now.

The BJP targeted what it called a “dysfunctional government headed by a dysfunctional Prime Minister.”

As for the Left decision to call a bandh in West Bengal, Mr. Rudy said the Communist parties would have to share the blame for every decision taken by the UPA government as they were supporting it. “The Left can in no way absolve itself of the responsibility.”