UPA government anti-people, says Dhumal

Hamirpur, June 7 (UNI) Former Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal today termed the UPA government at the Centre anti-people, while demanding a roll back in the prices of petrol and diesel.

Addressing party workers here to protest the hike in the prices of petrol and diesel by Rs four and Rs two respectively, he said the hike would hit the poor and the middle class most severely.

Petroleum Minister Murli Deora had on Monday announced hike in the prices of petroleum products, saying the hike was ''minimal'' and every effort had been made to protect the vulnerable and weaker sections by not increasing the prices of kerosene and cooking gas.

Mr Dhumal said the hike in petrol and diesel prices was bound to have a cascading effect and would increase the prices of essential commodities further.

The UPA government led by Congress party that had ''claimed to espouse the cause of the poor'' had raised the prices of petroleum products by seven times during the last two years, he said.

Mr Dhumal said it was more shocking to know that several Congress leaders were now saying that it was not their party's decision to raise the prices of petroleum products.

He also criticised Prime minister Manmohan Singh, Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram and Mr Deora for not paying heed to the peoples' demand for a rollback of hike.

Accusing the Left Parties of adopting double standards on the issue, he asked the Communist parties to clarify their stand on the policies of the Manmohan Singh Government that was pursuing anti-people polices.

Earlier, hundreds of BJP workers and leaders staged an hour-long dharna on the Hamirpur-Dharamsala highway this afternoon, protesting the Central Government's decision.

Several former state ministers in the BJP government and senior party leaders were also present on the occasion.

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