Unconcerned with price rise, UPA only engaged in politics:BJP

Patna, Jul 3: The BJP today alleged that the UPA was not concerned with the soaring prices, saying it had become a ''matter of politics'' for the Central government.

Taking strong exception to the meeting of Chief Ministers of the Congress-ruled states convened by the UPA on July 5, BJP national spokesperson Ravishankar Prasad told newspersons here that if the Centre felt the escalating prices was a national issue, it should have invited heads of all the states instead of being selective.

He alleged that the prices were escalating because of the mismanagement of the national economy and it was great irony that the Congress Working Committee was cautioning its own party government to check the price hike.

Mr Prasad said two years back when the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government was in power, the country exported foodgrains but soon after installation of the UPA government, the economy of surplus turned into economy of shortage.

He took a dig at the Left parties extending conditional support to the UPA government, alleging that the Left had adopted ''double standard''.

He challenged the Left parties to muster courage for withdrawing their support to the UPA government.

The BJP would raise the matter in the next session of Parliament, he added.

Mr Prasad further alleged that the UPA was all set to compromise on the nuclear sovereignty of the country by entering into atomic energy cooperation with America as the memorandum of understanding(MOU) was aimed at putting "ban" on nuclear use by India. He referred the recent controversies trigerred by the book written by former Prime Minister V P Singh and said astonishingly RJD chief and Railway Minister Lalu Prasad was silent over the the reference made in the book about the arrest of former Deputy Prime Minister and BJP stalwart L K Advani.

He said the RJD chief should also explain his position.

Mr Prasad lamented that the Centre was contempalting to bring the Broadcast bill to control TV and media. It would be unfortunate if such Bill was passed as it would be directly attacking the freedom of the media, he said and added that the BJP would oppose any such Bill in Parliament.

UNI