UPA govt's pro-market policy to be blamed for rising prices: CPI

The United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government has failed to check the spiralling prices of food items and other essential commodities as it has "totally surrendered" before the market forces, the Communist Party of India (CPI) said today.

"Onion prices have reached extremely high levels in all parts of the country. The prices of all food items have also shown similar increases in the recent past. The price of milk has also been raised, along with the fuel prices," CPI national secretary D Raja said in Delhi.

"As the prices go higher and higher, the government stands as a mute spectator, reflecting its helplessness before the market forces. The government has totally surrendered before the market forces," he said.

Observing that both Houses of Parliament had adopted unanimous resolution that the rising prices have had an adverse impact on the people, Raja said the government needs to take action to check the spiralling prices.

"Instead it is making excuses that hoarding is the reason for the high prices of onions. If that is true, then it should have taken action," he said.

"Government should have also informed Parliament about what steps it had taken to check prices, but it did not let the House function by its adamant stand of not accepting the demand for a joint parliamentary committee enquiry into the 2G spectrum scam," the CPI leader added.