Price hike is due to VAT; Left responsible: Mulayam

Lucknow, Jul 16: Samajwadi Party (SP) supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav today held Left parties responsible for price hike of all essential commodities in the country by bringing in the Value Added Tax (VAT) regime.

''CPI(M) leader and West Bengal finance minister Ashim Dasgupta was the main champion for the VAT system, which has created problems for the masses,'' Mr Yadav said.

Talking to newspersons here, he asked the Left parties to reconsider their support to the VAT system and said the SP had always opposed the new tax system as it was anti-people.

''Introduction of VAT in UP by the Mayawati government was also the main cause for rising prices of essential commodities in the state,'' he claimed.

Discussing his meeting with Mr Dasgupta, the SP chief said these leaders tried to enforce VAT in UP during the SP regime also but failed.

''Now it was time for the Left parties to force the government to withdraw VAT so that the comman man could get his two sqaire meals at a reasonable price,'' Mr Yadav added.

UNI