Exchange of Words

    On 25th June,2010, Government of India increases prices of Petroleum products, courtesy deregulation of price control mechanism, very next day opposition parties especially National Democratic Alliance (N.D.A.) and communist parities announced Bharat Bandh on 5th July, but when Government of India saw heat among opposition parties and they call for Bharat Bandh, through petroleum minister Government of India defend its move of deregulation by advertisements in the newspapers and press conference, in which Mr. Murli Deora gave references of neighbouring countries prices of Kerosene and L.P.G., and said Government still bearing subsidies on both products by 18 rupees per litre on kerosene and 225 rupees on L.P.G. Cylinders. As per figures express by Union Petroleum Minister were –

• Pakistan – 577 Rupees per Cylinder
• Bangladesh – 537 Rupees per Cylinder
• Sri Lanka – 822 Rupees per Cylinder
• Nepal – 782 Rupees per Cylinder
• India – 345 Rupees per cylinder

and then he also raise the question so in this scenario what is the logic behind bharat bandh? It made furious opposition parties and in response to these stats and question, convener of N.D.A. Mr. Sharad Yadav fires back question on Government and asked instead of spending huge money in support of its move, government of India should had talked with opposition parties on to the issue of inflation, but instead it prefer to take the help of media to defend itself, accepted petroleum minister have given figures of prices of petroleum products in neighbouring countries but few items and escape to mentioned price of petrol , which is higher among all the neighbouring countries –

• Pakistan – 22 rupees per litre
• Bangladesh – 26 rupees per litre
• Nepal – 34 rupees per litre
• Afghanistan – 30 rupees per litre
• Myanmar - 36 rupees per litre
• India – 53 rupees per litre

      Mr. Yadav also clarifies the reason why it is so higher in India and as per his words In the country base price of petrol is 16.50 paisa but adding 11.80 paisa as Central Tax, 9.75paisa as excise duty and 8.00 Rupees as State Taxes and 4 Rupees as VAT total make the price of petrol 53 rupees, and in advertisements as per government argument high prices’ are responsible because of high International crude prices, so in India it bound to effect, but the fact is taxes on petroleum products which increase the prices’.
     Both sides blaming each other for there moves, but it’s the hard fact that with action of both sides citizens of this country have to grind as government has increase prices of petroleum products which directly effects common people and opposition parties responded with bandh call which will give problems to common people as they had joined forcibly to shut down their business’, and common people have no option other then to watch silently but with confusion towards both sides, if they are worried for his interest or simply they are playing the game of politics on to his name.