"First of all I disagree entirely with Election Commission's approach. The Election Commission cannot be a parallel government. This decision to increase the gas pricing was taken 10 months ago. We knew it was to be done on April 1.
"I think it should have been done on April 1. Whatever the merits of the case, it is a decision taken 10 months ago," Ramesh said.
He was asked about the Election Commission's direction to the UPA government to defer notifying doubling of price of the fuel produced by companies such as Reliance Industries till general elections are completed.
"I am sure the government will appeal. Because Election Commission cannot sit in judgement on executive decisions. Otherwise government will come to a halt," the Minister said reacting to a query whether the Government will take up the matter with the poll panel to get its permission to implement the decision.
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Noting that the government decision on gas pricing was taken 10 months ago, Ramesh said the people in the Election Commission had been in the government and they know "pretty well" how government functions.
"...This is the problem with our constitutional bodies. Whether it is the CAG, CVC or the Election Commission, they are perfectly normal when they are working in the government. The moment they become members of the body, they suddenly think their service as God's gift to humanity," he said.
Ramesh, however, said that the Election Commission is a "reasonable body" and he had got their permission to implement government programmes whenever he approached them.