Congress, Trinamool allege BJP-CPI-M nexus

KOLKATA - The opposition parties in West Bengal slammed the nationwide shutdown Monday on fuel price hike and said it has exposed the nexus between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the ruling Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M).

The BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M)-led Left Front had separately called the shutdown.

“We are happy that this political nexus of the BJP and the CPI-M has been exposed. People are now aware of the nexus of the two parties based on the anti-Congress platform,” said Manas Bhunia, president, West Bengal Pradesh Congress Committee.

“We have witnessed this nexus earlier in parliament also,” Bhunia added.

On June 25, a ministerial panel headed by Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee lifted the pricing controls on petroleum. As a result, petrol prices went up by Rs.3.50 a litre.

The government hiked the prices of diesel by Rs.2 a litre, kerosene - known as the poor man’s fuel and traditionally spared during periodic fuel price hikes - by Rs.3 a litre and cooking gas by Rs.35 per cylinder.

Subrata Mukherjee, senior Trinamool Congress leader, said: “The people of the country and the city need to be cautious against this unholy nexus of the BJP and the CPI-M.

“Both the parties called the bandh after consultations and now they are saying they have called it separately. The people of this country understand such political tricks,” he said.

“This shutdown is of no use. It’s just a political drama of the CPI-M and the BJP. Never ever the price of oil products has come down by calling a shutdown,” Mukherjee added.

However, the CPI-M denied any such nexus. “Trinamool Congress can form such alliance with the BJP. But we can never form such alliance with the BJP,” said Mohammed Salim, senior CPI-M leader.

On June 26, the CPI-M affiliated Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) had called a transport strike in the state to protest fuel price hike.