Naidu urges PM, Sonia to roll back fuel price hike

Visakhapatnam, June 8 : Telugu Desam Party (TDP) supremo N Chandrababu Naidu today urged the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress Party President Sonia Gandhi to immediately roll back the hiked fuel price, keeping in mind the welfare of the poor, downtrodden and the toiling masses in the country.

Talking to newspersons here, he said the Central Government had imposed a heavy burden on the common man by increasing the fuel prices. TDP would take part in a nationwide agitation against the hike in petrol and diesel prices on June 13 to exert pressure on the Centre to roll back the hike.

Mr Naidu alleged that the Government raised the fuel price in haste and it was seeking the permission of Ms Gandhi to examine the possibility of reverting to old prices. TDP would join Samajwadi Party, AGP and other parties in the agitation against the price hike, he added.

He also alleged that the state goverenment in this regard failed to roll back the hike and to fulfil its promise to improve the living condition of the people. The Government's commitment to rescue farmers turned out to be a hoax, he added.

He further alleged that the Government has no control over the increase in prices of essential commodities and added that the entire administration had gone haywire.

Mr Naidu said the increase would have a cascading effect on the prices of all essential commodities. The State and Centre should consider reduction in sales tax and excise duty so that the burden not passes on to the people, he added.

He said the party would contine to hold agitation with like-minded parties, until the centre roll back the hike fully.

UNI