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The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday said the increase in prices of commodities like onions was artificial and at the behest of the Congress while that in fuel prices was the result of a spike in international oil prices.
“The government has sufficient stocks of foodgrain, onions and other commodities. Businessmen with links to the Congress are trying to create panic by hoarding onions, etc. Our government is determined to meet this challenge by cracking down on hoarders and black marketeers,” BJP spokesperson Shrikant Sharma said. He said all BJP-ruled states had taken tough action against hoarders.
BJP spokesperson said that in Delhi, which is under President's rule, 52 teams raided 500 premises suspected to have hoarded essential commodities. Teams from the Department of Food and Supplies of Delhi government raided wholesalers and retailers of onions, potatoes, pulses, rice, edible oils and oilseeds. Delhi government press release claimed violators have been booked under the Essential Commodities Act, 1955 and their stock confiscated. Sharma also said that the government was in the process of providing onions at reasonable prices by starting special government run booths to sell onions. He said 300 such booths would come up in Delhi.
The BJP also distributed a statement to explain the oil price hike. The press release said that the Indian Oil Corporation has increased price of a litre of petrol by Rs 1.69 and that of diesel by half a rupee. It attributed the increase in petrol prices to the "geo-political unrest" in West Asia and the deteriorating rupee-dollar exchange rate.
The release explained how a January 2013 government order authorised oil marketing companies to increase the retail selling price of diesel every month. It said that even after the current increase under recovery on retail diesel stands at Rs 3.40 per litre. It claimed the Indian Oil Corporation suffered under-recoveries on sale of kerosene oil to the tune of Rs 33.07 per litre and on domestic LPG of Rs 449 per cylinder. "The movement of prices in international oil market and INR-USD exchange rate shall continued to be closely monitored and developing trends of the market will be reflected in future price change," the release said.
The BJP, sources said, has felt the need to more aggressively put forth its defence on crucial issues. Both that of the party's as also the government's engagement with the media has witnessed an increase in the past few days.
