Left can't wash its hands off on price hike: Advani

Thiruvananthapuram, Apr 27 (UNI) Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha L K Advani today said the Left parties could not wash their hands off from the responsibility of the unprecedented hike in the prices of essential commodities.

''Inflation is the result of the failure of the Congress and its UPA allies to manage the economy. The Congress and the Left parties do not see eye to eye in issues relating to economy and foreign policy,'' Mr Advani told newspersons here.

The mismanagement of the economy, coupled with the diabolically opposite stand taken by the Congress and the Left parties on crucial issues, was the major factor responsible for the present situation, he added.

Dismissing the Left protests over price hike as mere 'eye wash,' he pointed out that the government could not survive a single day if the Left decided to withdraw its support.

When the NDA government was in power for six years, inflation was under control mainly due to its efficient management of economy. Besides unity among the coalition partners, the NDA government had also maintained a good Centre-state relations, he added.

''Today, the situation is totally different as the Centre is finding faults with the states for the price hike. This futile excise of finding scapegoats and blaming each other will not solve the problem,'' he added.

Mr Advani said the next Lok Sabha elections would be fought on the basis of performance of the previous NDA government and the present UPA government at the Centre.

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