This Article is From Mar 25, 2014

Gas price hike stopped: Aam Aadmi Party takes credit

Gas price hike stopped: Aam Aadmi Party takes credit
New Delhi: The Centre told the Supreme Court on Tuesday that it would leave gas prices untouched after the Election Commission deferred the Centre's decision to hike gas prices from April 1.

The Aam Aadmi Party or AAP had written to the Election Commission asking it to put the Centre's decision to almost double gas prices on hold till the end of the elections. AAP also alleged that the hike was being done to benefit Reliance Industries Limited or RIL.

Moments after the Election Commission decision, AAP jumped to take credit on Monday with Mr Kejriwal tweeting, "Thank u election commission for saving the people of India from huge price rise that wud have happened if gas prices had increased frm 1 Apr (sic)"

AAP leader Prashant Bhushan said, "We salute the Election Commission for taking the decision to hold new gas price by saving around Rs 50,000 crore. No opposition party including Modi opposed the government decision."

In its reply to the Supreme Court, the Centre said it would leave the decision on new pricing on the next government. Some though view this as a blessing in disguise for the UPA, hoping to blunt some of AAP's criticism of the government. While replying to media queries on the issue, Congress spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi said, "We have nothing to do. It is between the court and Reliance industry. This decision was taken in the Cabinet after due deliberation and Supreme Court is seized of the matter."

On Monday, RIL called AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal's allegations "politics of disinformation", saying a Cabinet decision taken and notified months before the poll announcement "should have been implemented in a routine manner...but it is sought to be packaged into a controversy ensnaring the Hon'ble EC." RIL also accused the AAP of having a history of ill-informed diatribe.

The BJP, on the other hand, says it had opposed the hike in the standing committee on Finance, headed by the party's senior leader Yaahwant Sinha. Ravishankar Prasad, who is part of the same standing committee and spokesperson for the BJP said, "The standing committee on Finance said there was a need for review. The Election Commission has taken a call, the matter ends there." He also added, "They (AAP) have no issues to go to the people with, (hence they are jumping to take credit)."

While political parties are busy either trying to take credit for the move or stop another party from walking away with it, market experts feel the decision could dampen investor sentiment, with the message that politics comes before economics.
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