Mamata Banerjee requests PM, Sonia Gandhi to roll back petrol price

UPA ally and Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee today appealed to prime minister Manmohan Singh and Congress president Sonia Gandhi to roll back the price hike in petro products but said she did not want any 'confrontation'.

"Common people face hardship in case of price rise. I am running the Railways with difficulty without increasing fares. I appeal to the prime minister and Soniaji to reconsider the hike," Banerjee, who is also the railway minister told reporters here.

"We are for the people. I have raised these concerns for the common man. It is not a question of going into any confrontation," she clarified.

Under the previous UPA government too there had been rise in prices of petroleum products, she pointed out.
   
Banerjee said West Bengal government should also reduce cess on petroleum products as it was high in the state.
   
Banerjee's reaction came on a day when DMK, another key constituent of the UPA government, demanded an immediate rollback of fuel price hike.

Earlier, Trinamool Chief Whip in the Lok Sabha Sudip Bandopadhyay said his party was unhappy over the hike and would express its annoyance on the floor of the House when the union budget is debated.

Asked whether the party would support the cut motions planned to be moved by BJP on petro price, he said "let us see the developments. We will act as the situation develops."

Trinamool Congress had earlier said the party was not consulted on the decision to increase the prices of petrol and diesel.