Congress-NCP bicker over fuel price hike - Hindustan Times

The hike in fuel prices has led to bickering in the ruling Congress-Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) alliance with the NCP protesting against the same. While chief minister Prithviraj Chavan (Congress) did not comment on the issue, deputy chief minister and senior NCP leader Ajit Pawar criticised t he Centre.

"This hike is unacceptable. Our NCP cadre should get out on the streets and oppose it," Pawar said in Pune while addressing a gathering of party workers.

NCP is a partner in the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government at the Centre.

Ajit's statement comes at a time when relations between the Congress and NCP are at their lowest. The NCP is unhappy with the way the Reserve Bank of India superseded the board of directors controlled by the former. Its leaders are also convinced that the Congress is out to corner its chief Sharad Pawar.

Maharashtra does not charge value-added tax on cooking gas and kerosene that is sold through the public distribution system.

The Bharatiya Janata Party activists have also begun protesting against the hike in all the major cities in the state. BJP activists in Mumbai undertook a march on bullock carts.

 The activists, including former petroleum minister Ram Naik, were arrested and later released on bail.

"Never in the history of our country have we seen such severe hikes in fuel prices," Naik said.