Kolkata: A day after giving a 72-hour deadline to the Centre to rollback its decision on FDI in multi-brand retail and diesel price hike, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday said that the UPA government did not consult her before taking the decision. She also said that the Trinamool Congress will not accept FDI in multi-brand retail under any circumstances. Mamata demanded that the Centre should allow 24 subsidised LPG cylinders per year to consumers and scrap diesel price hike immediately.
"I do not want the government to fall but for the sake of poor people if I have to take strong decision I will not back out," she said while adding that the central government needs TMC support to stay in power.
Mamata and her party members hit the streets in Kolkata on Saturday protesting against the central government's decision to allow FDI in retail and aviation, and the hike in diesel prices.
"UPA does not bother about the common man. They even did not consult me before taking such decisions. FDI in retail and diesel price hike should be roll backed. This cannot be tolerated,” she said while addressing a rally in Kolkata.
Making it very clear that she will not accept the government’s decision, Mamata also said "we can’t sell our country due to global slowdown."
"Government is giving lame excuses. We will not allow FDI in retail. We have mentioned this in our manifesto. If the government wants funds, they should bring back black money,” she said.
"We have called a party meeting on Tuesday to discuss these issues. If the Centre does not roll back the hike in diesel price and withdraw decisions on FDI in multi-brand retail and curbs on LPG, we will take decisions, however hard they may be. I hope the people will not misunderstand," Banerjee, who hit the streets here for a second time after the May petrol price hike, told a rally.
Expressing surprise over the government's sudden big ticket reforms, Banerjee said "I don't know what happened. So many decisions were taken on a single day. We want economic reforms that reaches the grassroots, not something that benefits a section. These are anti-people decisions."
Mamata, the West Bengal chief minister, however, said her party would not like to topple the UPA government.
"We are not in favour of quitting the government. We are always in favour of not breaking the alliance. But we are committed to the people."
Mamata said "we are the second largest ally of UPA and we could have got more cabinet berths. We have now only the Railway ministry but that hardly matters to us. What matters to us is the people."
"We don't want FDI in retail. This was in our election manifesto. The people voted us for five years. How can we betray their trust?" Mamata said.
These decisions, she said, "may be digestable for them, but not digestable for others. How many times will you go on hiking prices at the cost of the common people?"
Demanding the price hike of diesel should be withdrawn immediately, she said the Centre should provide two LPG cylinders with subsidy each month per family, "which means 24 LPG cylinders at subsidised rates per year."
Referring to the Centre's decision to leave it to the states to allow setting up of multi-brand retail stores, Banerjee said "is this possible? I have never heard of it." She suggested the Centre unearth black money instead of burdening the people.
Earlier, Mamata had warned the UPA with her deadline demanding a rollback in the diesel price hike and FDI in retail. "My 72-hour deadline stands after which we will take a hard decision," Mamata told CNN-IBN.
If Mamata decides to withdraw from the UPA, the government will be in trouble as far as the number game is concerned. Mamata's Trinamool Congress has 19 seats out of the 273 seats of the UPA in the Lok Sabha.
If Mamata withdraws, the UPA will need the support of Mulayam Singh-led Samajwadi Party. If Mulayam refuses to support the UPA, the government still has a chance of surviving with the help of the Mayawati-led Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and Lalu Prasad's Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD).
Mayawati has said she backs the UPA to keep communal forces away and will continue to give outside support to the UPA. The Samajwadi Party hasn't given any ultimatum. So with outside support of the SP and BSP, the government is comfortable.
Sources say the mood within the UPA is that TMC can be done away with as reforms are more important ahead of the 2014 General Elections. Government sources say that they have spoken to the TMC always and cannot roll back.
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