BJP to launch countrywide agitation on April 7

New Delhi, Apr 1 (UNI) The BJP will launch a nationwide agitation against the ''gross mismanagement of economy'' by the Congress led UPA Government, saying it had completely failed to check the unabated price rise.

The party will organise 'anti-price rise rallies' in all state capitals in the country, BJP spokesman Prakash Javadekar told newspersons today.

Claiming that some announcements made by the government yesterday in order to check price rise was "too little, too late", he said the measures are ad hoc and would not create the desired impact on the overall price situation. It had failed to check the situation as it had not addressed to the management of demand and supply in the past one year, he added.

Mr Javadekar said the steps were half hearted and would not provide any relief to the common man.

He also ridiculed the Congress for ascribing the price rise to global trend. ''The Congress' blaming global factors as being responsible is clearly an act of desperation to cover up on its own economic mismanagement of the country. The spurt in prices was much more and faster than any global price warm up,'' he said.

He said the Government earned more revenue with every increase in global crude oil prices because of the ad valorem structure of duties. The income from the petroleum sector which was just Rs 70,000 crore in 2004, had phenomenally risen to Rs 1,70,000 crore in 2007-08, hence having profited Rs 40,000 crores by sheet increase in ad velorem collection.

The BJP, he said, had always advocated duty restructuring to achieve revenue neutralistion. The UPA government had not carried out this much needed course correction and was now blaming global prices for inflation and rise of prices of commodites.

Besides, the government had also failed in "Buffer Stock Management" of major foodgrains. This Government allowed private players to purchase foodgrains from farmers which in turn resulted in depletion of buffer stocks thereby threatening food security and also sending out panic signals in the markets, the party leader added.

In addition, it systematically destroyed PDS which was a protection to the poor, and failed to take stern action against the hoarders of cement and steel.

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