UPA responsible for price rise: Naidu

Indore, Apr 09: Senior BJP leader M Venkaiah Naidu on Wednesday held the UPA government responsible for steep rise in prices of all commodities due to its wrong policies and said Congress President Sonia Gandhi should break her silence on the issue.

Talking to newsmen here, Naidu said sufferings of the common man had increased manifold due to price rise, but the government was not moved by it. Prices of commodities like steel, cement, edible oil and foodgrain had increased by 30 to 40 percent after the union budget, he said, adding Sonia Gandhi was silent on the price rise. Alleging that the Left parties had double standards, Naidu said the Left parties supported the government within the Parliament while strongly opposing it outside. The BJP leader said his party would raise the price rise and other crucial issues in the next session of Parliament. BJP was also considering launching a nation-wide agitation on the issue. Party's senior leaders would hold a meeting in this regard on April 18.

Naidu blamed the government for the present crisis in the agriculture sector leading in suicide by several farmers. Inaction on the government part encouraged terrorists, he added. Replying to a query, Naidu said the BJP has no plan to remove Shivraj Singh Chouhan from Chief Ministership of Madhya Pradesh. “The BJP government under Chouhan's leadership was functioning smoothly and he would lead the party in the coming Assembly elections,” Naidu told before leaving for campaigning for the Betul Lok Sabha by-election. He informed that the party would soon devise strategy for the Assembly elections. The BJP will romp home in Betul election, he added.