Cong throws ball in Govt's court on rollback

New Delhi, June 7(UNI) Amid suspense over a partial rollback of the petrol price hike, the Congress today made it clear that it was for the Union Government to take a decision on reducing the increase in petrol price.

"The Congress has apprised the Government of the concerns of the people about petrol price hike and now it is for the Government to decide," party Spokesman Rajiv Shukla told reporters here.

He said that the party had told the Government about the concerns of the people on general price rise as also on petrol price hike and asked it to keep a check on the price rise.

Now it was for the Government to take action. "We are hopeful that there would be a rollback of price hike", he said replying to a specific question.

Mr Shukla clarified that Minister for Petroleum Murli Deora had called on Congress President Sonia Gandhi here yesterday on his own and was not summoned by Mrs Gandhi. He explained to her the compulsions of the Government to effect a price hike of petrol and diesel. Mrs Gandhi listened to Mr Deora's plea and advised him to go in for a partial rollback of petrol price hike in the interests of the people.

Pointing out that the party can only apprise the Government of the concerns of the people, he said the Government would think over the party line on the issue and take a decision. However, the Government always has its own compulsions, he added.

Replying to a question, Mr Shukla said the Party had not merely done a formality in reminding the Union Minister about the concerns of the people, but was really sensitive to the people's feelings. The party had made the Government aware of what the people thought of the price hike.

He denied the suggestion that there was any communication gap between the Congress and the Government. He also denied that the Congress and the Government were locked in a battle against each other.

However, Mr Shukla argued that petrol price was hiked five times during the NDA regime and wondered why the BJP then did not resort to chakka jam in protest against the hike as it was doing now.

UNI YS RP RS1809