Bundh call is unlawful – Janardhan Poojary

Bundh call is unlawful – Janardhan Poojary

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangalore, May 29, 2012: B. Janardhan Poojary, former union minister and Congress leader, said that the nationwide bundh called by the BJP, the NDA, and left parties in protest against the petrol price hike for May 31 is unlawful. 

Addressing reporters on May 29, Tuesday, he said that the Supreme Court has ruled that no organization must call for a bundh, and even if they do, they have to bear the financial loss incurred by the bundh.

 

Condemning the call for bundh, Mr. Poojary said that the hike was inevitable because of the fall of the rupee against the dollar in the international market. The central government had to take this step to manage the economy better, he said, adding that Indian economy did not suffer much while other economies were badly affected because of the hike. He also said that the central government is already giving subsidies worth Rs. 1,94,000 on petroleum products. 

Flaying the state government for its failure to reduce cess on petrol, Mr. Poojary said that the price of petrol in Goa is only Rs. 62, which clearly shows that the government of Karnataka has imposed high taxes on petrol in the state. He demanded that the state government should lower the cess so that the price of petrol in Karnataka is more or less equal to its price in other states. 

Assuring that the central government is taking all possible steps to assist various states, he said that 28 percent of the Rs. 15,00,000 crore allotted budget is being used for the benefit of various states. 

When a reporter wanted to know why some of the UPA’s allies objected to the price hike, he said that it is a tragedy and advised people to vote for a government with majority as coalitions always cause trouble.