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According to BJP the current surge in the prices is not natural
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NewsByte on 01 April, 2008 01:12:00
 
Taking a potshot on the measures announced by the United Progressive Alliance
(UPA) government after Cabinet Committee on Price Rise deliberated on Monday,
the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) today said that the current surge in the prices
was not natural rather it was manufactured by the government.
Blaming the government for "creating a mis-management between demand and supply
aspects of the market for past one year", BJP's national spokesperson Prakash
Javadekar said that the announced measures were only half-hearted.
Javadekar further said, "The government has offered 'too little, too late' and
has failed to take a holistic view of the price situation. The measures are
adhoc and will not create the desired impact on the overall price situation."
BJP also rejected government and Congress' argument that current rise in
inflation is the result of the global phenomenon of price rise. "Blaming global
factors as responsible (for price rise) is clearly an act of desperation to
cover up its own economic mis-management of the country. The recent and sudden
spurt in prices in India is evidently much more and faster than any global price
warm up."
Government earning profit
Javadekar also attacked the UPA governement for not doing away with the Ad
Valorem structure of duties on petroleum imports. He accused the government of
earning profit from such duties at the cost of prosperity of the masses.
Advocating once again for policy revenue neutralization on petroleum price, he
said, "The income to the government from the petroleum sector, which was just Rs
70, 000 crores in 2004 rose to a phenomenal Rs 170,000 crores in 2007-08. The
government has profited to the tune of Rs 40,000 crores by sheer increase in Ad
Valorem collection, because of the global price rise," adding, "This must stop."
BJP also alleged that the government was working in unison with the hoarders,
who have caused "an artificial scarcity of food in the country" leading finally
to unprecedented price rise.
The party has also planned to launch a nationwide agitation from April 7 by
organising rallies in all state capitals, where senior party leaders including
Rajnath Singh will be addressing these rallies.