IANS

Kolkata, Jun 8: Railways Minister and Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee has said her party will protest if the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government increases the prices of petroleum products.

Amidst media reports that the central government is planning to decontrol prices of petroleum products, alliance partner Trinamool said that it should be taken into confidence before such decisions are made.

"The government has to understand that people have expectations. It is true that the Congress has to keep its commitments to the people. Similarly, we also have to keep our commitments," Banerjee said in an interview to Bengali television news channel Star Ananda Sunday night.

"A national party has its commitments and a regional party also has its own commitments. So, the national party should take the regional party into confidence (on such decisions)," she added.

Pointing out that petroleum prices had been lowered thrice before the elections, Banerjee said: "I don't think it will be proper if the prices are raised so soon after the polls.

"We will definitely protest. Yes, we can leave the government also but then people will say why you left. It is my appeal to the Congress that run the government well, but at the same time respect our commitments."

However, she pointed out that her party was a minor partner with only 20 MPs (including one of the Socialist Unity Centre of India), while the Congress has more than 200 Lok Sabha members.

"This is not a Trinamool government. Had we led the government then we could have taken decisions as per our policies but as per the arithmetic of the house, the Congress has more members," she said.