UPA gets a jolt, Trinamool Congress withdraws support to govt

The Trinamool Congress, the second biggest constituent of the UPA, today dealt a major blow to the Manmohan Singh government when it decided to withdraw its support on the issue of petroleum price hike, FDI in retail and corruption.

"We are withdrawing our support. Our ministers will go to Delhi, meet the Prime Minister and tender their resignations at 3pm on Friday," TMC chief and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee announced after a meeting of party MPs, top leaders and office bearers

However, Banerjee added a caveat saying if the Centre rolls back the decision on FDI in multi-brand retail, raise the cap on supply of subsidised LPG to 12 cylinders and reduction of diesel hike from Rs5 to Rs3 or Rs4, then the party would reconsider the decision to withdraw support.

She said the central government was not not a one-party rule.

"The government depends on the support of others. But in Bengal, we have a majority of our own and we are not not dependant on others," she said.

Banerjee ruled out supporting the government from outside saying her decision was "not half-hearted".

Widening the attack on Congress, she brought in issues like coal block allocation scam, blackmoney and fertiliser price rise.

"The FDI decision was taken to suppress the coal scam issue," the West Bengal Chief Minister said.

Accusing the Congress of indulging in "blackmail politics", she said whenever it has trouble with any of its allies, it goes to the other.

"When it has problem with Mayawati, it goes to Mulayam. When it has problems with Mulayam, it goes to Nitish (Kumar of JD-U) and it is like that," Banerjee said.

Referring to the FDI decision, she said there are 50 million people in unorganised retail sector. "Where will these people go? There will be disaster. It has not been sustainable even in the West."

While accusing Congress of indulging in "blackmail" politics, the Trinamool chief said, "somebody has to bell the cat."

She revealed that she had conveyed her opposition to FDI decisions directly to Congress President Sonia Gandhi but it did not work.

Banerjee also criticised Finance Minister P Chidambaram's statement yesterday ruling out rollback on FDI.

She said after all these steps, the Congress would now allow even Pension Bill and vowed to oppose it tooth and nail in Parliament.

"If we don't take a decision, they will even allow foreign players in pension sector. We can't tolerate," she said.

"We will not tolerate any anti-people decisions and we will oppose everything," she said.

She said her party would not be responsible if the country was forced to go for a mid-term poll.

"This government can stay for three months or six months, I don't know. They have lost the credibility. And if they cannot maintain friendship with us, then they cannot maintain friendship with anybody," Banerjee said.

Trinamool has six ministers in the Manmohan Singh government-- one of cabinet rank and others ministers of state.

Banerjee ruled out supporting the government from outside saying her decision was "not half-hearted".

While announcing her decision, she attacked the Congress, accusing it of indulging in "blackmail" politics and alleged that the FDI decisions were to "suppress the coalgate issue. They wanted to divert attention from coalgate to FDIgate."

Contending that "somebody will have to bell the cat, somebody", she said, "I waited for three-four days. We thought the government will review (its decisions). We wanted to stay in the government but we were not allowed to stay."

Banerjee said her party would not be responsible if the country was forced to go for a mid-term poll.

"This government can stay for three months or six months, I don't know. But they have lost the credibility. And if they cannot maintain friendship with us, then they cannot maintain friendship with anybody," Banerjee said.

Widening the attack on Congress, she brought in issues like coal block allocation scam, blackmoney and fertiliser price rise.

Accusing the Congress of indulging in "blackmail politics", she said whenever it has trouble with any of its allies, it goes to the other.

"When they have trouble with Mamata, they go to Mayawati, if they have trouble with Mayawati, they go to Mulayam, if there is problem with Nitish (Kumar of JD-U), they go to Lalu... This is blackmailing politics," Banerjee said.

Referring to the FDI decision, she said there are 50 million people in unorganised retail sector. "Where will these people go? There will be disaster. It has not been sustainable even in the West."

While Banerjee was holding meeting with her party leaders, the Prime Minister held confabulations with senior cabinet colleagues P Chidambaram and Sharad Pawar.

Pawar, the leader of NCP, is understood to have assured the Prime Minister that his party is strongly with the government.