In a virtual rebellion against the UPA government, its largest ally Trinamool Congress today threatened to pull out over the petrol price hike, as it sought an appointment with the Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh before taking “any vital decision“.
“Our withdrawal of support may result in fall of the government. But since the Prime Minister is away, we want to discuss with him and have sought an appointment with him,” Trinamool Congress chairperson Ms Mamata Banerjee told reporters at the state secretariat here.
“Discussions are required before a vital decision is to be taken,” she said after her party’s parliamentary wing submitted a resolution to her calling for pull out from the UPA.
Ms Banerjee, in the first-ever attack on the Congress since the formation of the UPA-II government in 2009, said her party would seek an appointment with the Prime Minister sometime between November 8 and 10 according to his convenience after he returns from abroad.
It was unacceptable that such a crucial decision on petrol price hike had been taken in the absence of the Prime Minister, she said.
Ms Banerjee said an emergency meeting of the Trinamool Congress parliamentary party was in favour of quitting the UPA for the unilateral decisions of major ally Congress, without consulting allies and keeping them in the dark, she said.
“We have been silenced and not heard in the Union Cabinet. Our only Cabinet minister Mr Dinesh Trivedi, when he raises any issue concerning the people, is told to keep quiet.
We have tolerated so much and adjusted,” Ms Banerjee said, adding there was lack of coordination and cooperation in the UPA.
Pointing out that Congress was dependant on support of allies like the Trinamool Congress, NCP and DMK to run the UPA government, she said, “But we are not dependant on Congress.”