DMK asks UPA govt not to remain adamant on petrol hike

Key United Progressive Alliance allies Trinamool Congress and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam on Saturday mounted pressure on the Centre to rollback the steep hike in petrol price with Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee leading a street march in Kolkata against the government of which her party is a part.

Banerjee, along with Railway Minister and the party's general secretary Mukul Roy, walked for five kilometre from from Jadavpur to Hazra crossing in south Kolkata as Trinamool Congress workers carried posters demanding the hike in petrol price be rolled back and shouted slogans against the UPA government's decision.

Trinamool Congress Chief Whip in the assembly Sobhandev Chattopadhyay told reporters that "we are in UPA but we have not signed any bond".

Banerjee has already expressed strong displeasure against the 'unilateral and unjust decision' by the Centre to effect the sharp hike and demanded its rollback as it was "unacceptable".

In Chennai, DMK chief M Karunanidhi asked the Centre not to remain adamant on petrol price increase and to ensure at least a partial rollback of the steep increase. "Those in the central government should understand that people are agitated and (therefore) they should not remain adamant on their decision," Karunanidhi said in a letter to party men.

He asked party men to ensure the success of the May 30 protest by DMK against the latest petrol price hike. "As it is the duty of a welfare government, Centre should ensure at least a partial rollback and find a solution," he said.

Referring to reports, the 88 year-old DMK leader said petrol was being sold at lower rates in Pakistan and China and India should introspect "whether it is fair" to sell the fuel at Rs 78 (Chennai rates).

He said Congress' allies, Trinamool Congress and Sharad Pawar's Nationalist Congress Party had also expressed displeasure over the latest hike.