Bharatiya Janata Party on Friday alleged that members of the Union Cabinet had made money through futures trading in the commodity markets and demanded a Joint Parliamentary Committee to look into the government's omissions and commissions, which it said were responsible for price rise.
"BJP believes that the most important reason for price rise, apart from incompetence and lack of leadership in the government, is rampant corruption at all levels in government.
"Members of the Cabinet have made money through futures trading in the commodity markets," the main opposition stated in its Economic Resolution at the party's National Council Meet in Indore.
BJP pesident Nitin Gadkari had recently said some sections of the government may be beneficiaries of the commodities market trading and the party has come now out with a resolution on the issue.
Former finance minister Yashwant Sinha, who moved the resolution, said, "The National Council of BJP demands that a Joint Parliamentary Committee should be formed without delay to enquire into all acts of omissions and commissions of the government."
Quoting Gadkari, Sinha said of a total transaction of Rs 4,50,000 in the commodity exchanges only 1 per cent resulted in delivery and the rest was pure speculation.
While holding Prime Minister Manmohan Singh directly responsible for price rise as he was the chairman of the Cabinet Committee on Prices, Sinha said there were differences in the Cabinet on the policy to be adopted to control prices.
"The ministers of the government have started blaming each other. The prime minister and his party is blaming the food minister, the food minister is blaming the prime minister and reminding him of the concept of collective responsibility of the Cabinet. It is a free for all," Sinha said.
The resolution also blames United Progressive Alliance chairperson Sonia Gandhi for inflation.
It warned the government that if appropriate action was not taken, BJP would take to the streets and take recourse to all parliamentary methods to force the hand of the government to control prices.
