The Government got badgered by its allies as well as the Opposition on Friday.
First, it put off the high-powered Ministerial meet on limiting supply of subsidised LPG on Friday after reported objections from its key allies, DMK and Trinamool Congress.
Second, the Opposition slammed it for its ‘failure to control price rise' and raising petrol prices once again.
There were reports of protests in some states after petrol prices were raised by over Rs 3/litre from Friday.
Official sources said the Empowered Group of Ministers (EGoM) meeting was called off “due to non-availability” of certain members. No new dates have been notified.
But, sources said, DMK leader and Fertiliser Minister, Mr M.K Azhagiri, decided not to attend the EGoM meeting to express his party's opposition to the LPG proposal.
‘Callous'
Railway Minister and TMC leader, Mr Dinesh Trivedi, too, opposed to the move but said he would have attended the meeting.
He said, “Trinamool wants a roll-back of petrol price hike,” adding that his party's opinion was never sought before implementing the decision.
The BJP, which held a protest in Delhi, alleged that the Government's argument of inflation going up due to growth had fallen flat as cost of essential commodities was going up while GDP was falling.
The CPI(M), too, termed the Government's move to hike petrol prices as “callous,” and demanded an immediate roll-back and restoration of the administrative regulation of petrol pricing.
In Chandigarh, Punjab Chief Minister, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, flayed the Congress-led UPA Government for effecting a “back breaking” hike in petrol prices.