Cong leaders misleading people on fuel price hike: BSY
Bengaluru, September 10: BJP state president BS Yeddyurappa alleged that as the Lok Sabha election is fast approaching, the Congress leaders have been misleading the people to protect the sinking Congress by telling half truth regarding fuel price hike.
Yeddyurappa told in a press release on Monday that the Bharat bandh was a part that effort. It was not wrong to observe bandh. But the ruling parties should not support the bandh. It was a clear violation of the Supreme Court verdict. The Congress leaders have been misleading the people on fuel price hike issue, he said.
“Normally, the fuel prices are fixed internationally. During the UPA government, the fuel price was relaxed from the government control. But the Congress leaders have been hiding this fact from the people purposefully. Though the fuel price was increased by 73 percent globally in the last 14 months, in India, it was just 29.58 per cent. The one barrel crude oil is costing 79 dollar from 28 dollars. Based on this price, the fuel price will fluctuate in the market. In the international level, the USA has been trying to control over the oil producing countries and imposing restrictions against exporting more oil”, he said.
“The central government is getting Rs 6.66 from one litre of petrol and the state government would get Rs 25. Then how far it is right to passing the buck on the central government? Is it not the duty of the state government to slash the tax? The Congress is hiding all these issues”, Yeddyurappa said.
As the financial condition was sound in the Narendra Modi administration, the prices of essential commodities like pulses and household things were under control. When the Congress government was at the centre, the prices of pulses and food grains were shot up. But the Modi government has announced minimum support price to help the farmers on the one side and protecting the interests of the consumers on the other side. There was no doubt that the fuel prices would come down in the country when the price of the crude oil was stable, he said.
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Ex-PM Devegowda warns opposition of electoral losses if they continue to allege 'vote chori'
New Delhi (PTI): Former Prime Minister H D Devegowda on Monday said the Opposition parties would "suffer" if they continue to raise allegations of "vote chori" and create suspicion in the minds of voters by blaming Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government.
Participating in a discussion on election reforms in the Rajya Sabha, he criticised the Opposition for making a mockery about the Prime Minister "in the streets and on the public platform".
"This (India) is a very big country. A large country. Congress may be in three states. Remember my friends please, by using the words 'vote chori' you are going to suffer in the coming days. You are not going to win the battle," Devegowda said, referring to the Opposition members.
He asked what the Opposition is going to earn by "blaming Narendra Modi's leadership and creating a suspicion in the mind of the voters" through the claims of "vote chori".
"What has happened to their minds? Let them rectify," Devegowda said.
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The former prime minister said that during his over seven decades of public life, he has never raised such issues of vote theft despite facing defeat in elections.
He also cited a letter written by the then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru regarding inclusion of "18,000 votes" (voters) in Kerala.
"Why I am telling this (because) during the Nehru period also, there were certain lapses in the electoral system," said Devegowda, who was the prime minister between June 1, 1996 and April 21, 1997.
He said that the Congress party faced defeat in the recent Bihar elections despite raising the issues of mistakes in the electoral rolls.
"What happened after that even after so much review (of voters list). Think (for) yourself! You got six MLAs," the senior Janata Dal (Secular) leader said.
Devegowda questioned the Opposition as to why they want to make allegations against the prime minister on the issue of the voters list?
"Election Commission is there. Supreme Court is there. The Election Commission has given direction to all the state units to rectify all these things," he said.
Devegowda said people of the country have full confidence in Narendra Modi's government and it will come back to power after the next Lok Sabha elections as well.
K R Suresh Reddy, Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) party's Rajya Sabha member from Telangana, said that electoral reforms are the backbone for a healthy democracy.
He said a large and diverse nation like Indi needs clean electoral rolls.
Asserting that strict re-verification should not become a mechanism for exclusion, Reddy said no eligible voter should lose their right to vote simply because accessing paperwork is difficult.
He said while the concern definitely is on the voters' exclusion, "we should also be equally concerned about the percentage of voting."
"What is happening in voting today? Once the election ends, the drama begins. The biggest challenge that the Indian democracy has been facing in spite of two major Constitutional amendments has been the anti-defection. Anti-defection is the name of the game today, especially in smaller states, especially where the legislatures are small in number," Reddy said.
The senior BRS leader suggested creation of a parliamentary committee "which would constantly look into the defection" and "ways and means to cutting that".
AIADMK's M Thambidurai raised the issues related to election campaigning.
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"Election campaigns are one of the important election processes. In that, political parties must be given the proper chance to campaign," he said and cited problems faced by his party in Tamil Nadu in this regard.
Thambidurai said political parties were facing hardships in Tamil Nadu to conduct public meetings and to express their views to the public.
YSRCP's Yerram Venkata Subba Reddy stressed on bringing electoral reforms at both the state and national levels.
He also suggested replacing Electronic Voting Machines with paper ballots in all future elections.
"EVM may be efficient but can't be trusted. Paper ballot may not be efficient but can be trusted. You need trust in democracy," Reddy added.
