Congress took a dim view of the “success” of the opposition-sponsored Bharat Bandh.
Refusing to accept that the common man has been hit by the recent hike in fuel prices, party spokesman Abhishek Manu Singhvi claimed the “success” of the strike was limited to non-Congress-ruled states.
“Congress has shown great political courage in biting the bullet. NDA wanted to do it [hike fuel prices], but did not have the political will.
“Eliminating the subsidy on petrol prices is a decision in favour of the common man, who does not have to subsidise petrol consumption of the rich and middle classes,” he said.
Reposing faith in the wisdom of the common man to understand this logic, Singhvi said people could see through the frustration of the opposition parties.
“The people can see through the opportunism of BJP and the Left parties — two sworn enemies — in coming together to disrupt normal life without purpose,” he said.
But behind Singhvi’s brave face were lines of worry caused by the sustained high rate of food inflation that has been bothering the common man more than the recent hike in fuel prices.
The worry is accentuated by a realisation that there is no relief round the corner on the food price front. “This is an area of real concern and there are very few options available to us,” a senior Congress leader observed.
On the fuel price hike front, the party is banking on easing
of crude oil prices in the international market. The frequency
at which retail prices would be adjusted for fluctuations in
international prices has not been decided, but Congress feels the political damage from this tough decision could be contained through this mechanism.
