The Hindu : Kerala News : Sonia’s criticism immature, says V.S. Achuthanandan

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Kerala

Sonia’s criticism immature, says V.S. Achuthanandan

Blames UPA-led Central government for price rise
Cites Sonia’s directive to Centre in this regard

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Kerala Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan has said that the Opposition United Democratic Front (UDF) is deceiving the people by organising a hartal over price rise. United Progressive Alliance (UPA) chairperson Sonia Gandhi should have dissuaded the Opposition from organising the hartal on February 19.

Price rise

In a statement here on Saturday, the Chief Minister said the price rise was the result of the policies pursued by the UPA-led Central government.

The UPA chairperson herself had asked the Central government to take urgent steps to check prices. However, Union Finance Minister P. Chidambaram had said that he did not have any magic wand to bring down prices.

Price of rice had gone up in the State because of an 82 per cent cut in the State’s quota of rice for public distribution. Now, the Centre had increased the price of petrol and diesel, compounding the situation. Mr. Achuthanandan remarked that the criticisms made by Ms. Gandhi during her visit to Kerala were immature.

She had said that Kerala could not expect any concessions just because the Left was supporting the Central government.

No concessions sought

Kerala had not sought any concessions from Ms. Gandhi or the Congress. What the State government was pressing for were its rightful demands.

These included withdrawal of the cut in the quota of grains and power from the Central pool and withdrawal of the hike in petrol and diesel prices. He said that while suicides by farmers were continuing in other parts of the State, Kerala had managed to stop the trend.

As the leader of the UPA, Ms. Gandhi should have approved of the programmes of the government that benefited the people.

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