Don't Politicise Prise Rise : Congress:

New Delhi, Apr 2: The Congress today claimed that the steps taken by the UPA government to contain price rise had started yielding results, and said those political parties which were trying to make a political capital out of the issue would soon find themselves disappointed. "Don't politicise an economic issue. Price rise is an issue that is to be dealt with at the economic level," AICC spokesman Manish Tewari said, apparently referring to the threat of both the BJP and the Left parties to launch agitation on the price rise issue.He said the political parties should refrain from creating panic in the market. "It will only help the hoarders and blackmarketeers and speculative network." "Those who try to calibrate their political activity according to the vagaries of the Wholesale Price Index may soon find that they are disappointed," he said, while pointing out that the prices of edible oil had started falling and it would go down by 20 per cent in the next few days.The new trend in price situation has given a platform to state governments at macro economic level at which they would be able to work effectively to contain price rise.He asked the state governments to be vigilant in a situation where there was a supply side shortage, and asked them to translate into actions the macro economic steps aleady taken by the Centre.When a scribe pointed out that steel and cement were the primary drivers of price rise, Mr Tewari said the Central government had advised all the steel majors to bring down prices by 20 per cent.Moreover, the incentives for export of steel had been withdrawn.Accusing the BJP of politicising the price rise issue, he said the price of LPG had gone up by Rs 109.60 under the NDA rule. But the increase was only Rs 33.15 under UPA rule. The same was the case with kerosene, high speed diesel and petrol. [From Internet]