rediff.com: Mamata adamant; PM hopeful

The Trinamul Congress on Thursay remained adamant not to withdraw resignations of its two ministers from the National Democratic Alliance government until a rollback of petro price hike despite an appeal by Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

Vajpayee spoke to the Trinamul chief and Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday and requested her to continue discharging her ministerial duties pending a decision on her demand for a rollback of the price hike after his knee surgery later this month.

After a meeting between an emissary of Vajpayee, Sudheendra Kulkarni, and Banerjee earlier, the Trinamul had indicated that a decision on rollback would be taken in the Cabinet meeting slated for Friday.

Reacting to Vajpayee's suggestion that the issue could be kept on hold till his surgery, Minister of State for External Affairs Ajit Panja, who along with Banerjee resigned from the ministry, said "We will not re-join until a rollback".

The prime minister said in New Delhi he was hopeful of resolution of the stalemate. "I am always hopeful," he said when reporters at a function asked him about the Trinamul stand.

Two more NDA allies, the Telugu Desam and the Akali Dal, Thursday joined the Trinamul Congress in demanding reconsideration of the hike.

In New Delhi, TDP parliamentary party leader K Yerrannaidu told PTI that his party, which is supporting the NDA government from outside, would write to the prime minister requesting a review of the decision.

Punjab chief minister and Akali Dal leader Prakash Singh Badal said farmers were "burdened most" by the government decision.

Asked whether his party would seek review of the decision, he said "I have said it several times."

Panja told a private TV channel that their stand on the roll back was not a leverage for greater representation to Trinamul in the Union ministry.

Meanwhile, Petroleum Minister Ram Naik said in Madras that a rollback would upset the delicate economic balance his ministry had attempted leading to serious consequences for the country's economy.

"I am not for a rollback. However, the issue now rests with the prime minister and Mamata Banerjee who had raised the demand."


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