BJP to raise fuel price rise issue

Slamming the fuel price hike, the BJP today said UPA government had “betrayed” the people and the party would take up the issue in the coming Parliament session.

“The ruling UPA government has betrayed the people. From day one (of Parliament session), we will take up this issue and oppose it by all means,” BJP spokesperson Prakash Javadekar told reporters here.

“I think the session would begin in the last week of July. Till that time, we will fight for rollback of fuel prices on the streets,” he said.

BJP had already launched protests in various parts of the country on the fuel price hike, he said. The saffron party would hold a “massive signature campaign” and it would be presented to President Pratiba Patil during the coming Parliament session. “DMK’s Alagiri was a part of the Empowered Group of Ministers (EGoM) and his ‘mounam’ (silence) in the meeting was more eloquent. It was direct support for raising the fuel prices,” he said.

On the Bhopal gas tragedy, Javadekar alleged that the EGoM and Congress were sleeping over the issue for 26 years.

“Suddenly they woke up and started sending messages of relief within 26 hours after sitting over the files for the last 26 years... This has happened only to save the name of (former prime minister) Rajiv Gandhi,” he alleged.